Key facts
- Eastern Libyan authorities under Khalifa Haftar reportedly assisted in the release of an American hostage.
- The hostage, Kevin Rideout, was held by an Islamic State affiliate in the Sahel region.
- Sources suggest a deal was brokered, with conflicting accounts of a ransom payment versus a military operation.
- Rideout was escorted through Libya to freedom.
- The US State Department and White House declined to comment on Haftar's role.
Authorities in eastern Libya, under the command of Khalifa Haftar, played a role in securing the release of an American missionary, Kevin Rideout, who was held hostage by an Islamic State affiliate in West Africa's Sahel region. Five sources told Reuters that Haftar's forces helped escort Rideout to freedom through Libya.
Four of the sources indicated that a deal was brokered for Rideout's release, with one source stating that a ransom was paid. However, a senior source within Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) offered a different account, claiming that an elite LNA commando unit conducted a military operation in Mali to free the hostage, who was then flown to Benghazi, eastern Libya. Reuters was unable to confirm the details of the LNA's account.
Rideout, a pilot for the evangelical agency Serving in Mission, was kidnapped in Niger in October. He was reportedly seized on his way to the airport in Niamey and taken to the western Tillaberi region, an area where militants linked to Islamic State and al Qaeda operate. The US had prioritized Rideout's recovery, and the Trump administration had previously lifted sanctions on Malian officials to secure overflight access for operations.
Two sources suggested that Cherif Ould Tahar, a Malian businessman with connections to regional armed groups and smuggling networks, led the recent effort to secure Rideout's release. It remains unclear what, if anything, was exchanged for his freedom.
The State Department declined to comment on the matter, and the White House did not respond to requests for comment regarding Haftar's involvement. In a social media post, Trump expressed the US's anticipation of Rideout's return home.