His imprisonment lasted three and a half years.
The French president, commenting on the release of the hostage, spoke of a "fortuitous coincidence". It was a surprise for us, we had no information on the presence of man - said Hollande - but as soon as we identified the hostage we sent our commandos to free him.
The operation was directed by the Commandement des Opérations Spéciales. The assault was conducted by the Tier-1 of the '1er régiment de parachutistes d'infanterie de marine'.
About thirty terrorists have been eliminated, no loss among the French.
The man was immediately transported to the advanced base of Tessalit, in the north-east of Mali, managed by the French special departments.
Sjaak Rijke and his wife are two experienced travelers. The one in Mali to cross the Sahara was a dream trip. The dream, however, broke when armed men stormed the hotel chosen by the couple at Timbuktù. Rijke's wife managed to escape, while the terrorists captured three men: the Dutchman (freed a few hours ago), a Swede and a South African. These last two are still in the hands of the jihadists.
The latest information on the Dutch 54enne dates back to last November when it appeared in a video released by the media branch of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. The man recited a text for 'the anniversary' of his thousand days as a prisoner.
It is extraordinary news for the whole nation - commented Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders - I am grateful to the French and happy for the end of this horrible period full of uncertainty and anguish.
In every house in Woerden, the birthplace of Rijke, the Dutch flag was displayed.
The French military intervention in Mali (former colony), started in January of the 2013. Paris has started Operation Barkhane against al-Qaeda militants in the Region.
The powerful French contingent is in effect a front-line fighting force formed by three thousand men with a single purpose: to eliminate the jihadists that rage from eastern Chad to Mauritania.
The French effort is just beginning. In fact, Hollande has already decided to double his military presence to support the fight against Boko Haram in Nigeria.
The powerful French desert force
The one deployed in Africa by the French is not a peacekeeping force, but a real army that is completely self-sufficient and specifically trained in the guerrilla. Supported by two companies of the Foreign Legion, the contingent is formed by 3500 soldiers (a number that will double soon).
Opération Barkhane is run by ten different bases scattered throughout the Region. The main base of the French is that of N'Djaména, in Chad, which hosts 800 soldiers. Other 600 soldiers were stationed at the Niamey base in Nigeria, while at the Gao base in Mali, another thousand soldiers were deployed.
The command of the French special forces is redeployed in the base of Ouagadougou, in Burkina Faso. 500 the elements of the Commandement des opérations spéciales lined up for hunter killer operations. The French also have three small bases advanced in Tessalit, Mali, for the screening of special departments in the man hunting operations, Fort de Madama in Nigeria and Faya-Largeau in Chad. Finally, three other bases in Senegal, Ivory Coast and Gabon are managed with local governments.
The French force has at its disposal 200 tanks, six drones, eight fighter planes, a dozen transport aircraft and twenty assault helicopters.
Franco Iacch
(photo: Ministère de la Défense archive)
