A Spanish man has been kidnapped in North Africa, the Foreign Ministry announced on Friday, though it withheld further details about the incident.
According to El País, the individual was abducted in southern Algeria by an Islamist group and subsequently taken to Mali. However, the ministry has not confirmed these claims.
“A Spanish citizen is being held against their will in North Africa,” a spokesperson for the ministry stated. “The government is actively working to clarify the situation and secure their release.”
This incident occurs amid heightened tensions between Spain, Morocco, and Algeria over the status of Western Sahara. Spain, which controlled the territory until 1975, now faces diplomatic complexities as Morocco claims sovereignty over the region, while Algeria supports the independence-seeking Polisario Front.