A $50m hostage ransom funded al Qaeda’s Mali offensive, UN says
An estimated $50 million ransom paid to free a hostage seized by al Qaeda-linked militants in Mali in late 2025 has helped to fund their advances across West Africa and the group's global network, U.N. experts said.
A U.N. report has revealed that a $50 million ransom paid to free hostages held by al Qaeda-linked militants in Mali has helped fund the group's expansion across West Africa. The report, written by a team monitoring al Qaeda and Islamic State for the U.N. Security Council, was presented to the U.N. sanctions committee. While the exact details of the ransom payment and its recipients remain undisclosed, three regional sources identified the United Arab Emirates as the country that made the payment, which was made by an Emirati citizen and two other foreigners.
The U.N. report states that the majority of the ransom money was channeled to fighters operating in the Sahel region, with some funds also reaching al Qaeda factions in Yemen and the group's core leadership, believed to be in Iran or Afghanistan. Mali's government and the Pakistani and Iranian governments have not commented on the incident.
The report highlights the shift in al Qaeda's operations, with its strongest affiliates now based in Africa, and underscores the impact of a single ransom payment on the finances and reach of a militant network.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
