CommunicationPublished on 15 April 2025

Swiss woman kidnapped in Niger

The FDFA is aware of the kidnapping of a Swiss citizen in Niger and is in contact with the local authorities. — © FDFA

The FDFA is aware of the kidnapping of a Swiss citizen in Niger and is in contact with the relatives of the kidnapped person. The FDFA is also in contact with the Nigerien authorities, who are responsible for resolving this kidnapping case. For reasons of data protection and privacy, no further information can be provided about the victim or their relatives.

The FDFA's Crisis Management Centre (KMZ) set up a task force as soon as it became aware of the kidnapping. In collaboration with the Federal Office of Police fedpol, the Federal Intelligence Service and other federal agencies, the FDFA is working to secure the release in good health of the kidnapping victim.

Since 1 December 2009, the FDFA has advised against travel to Niger and all kinds of stays in the country due to the tense security situation and in particular the high risk of kidnapping. Swiss nationals who remain in the country or travel there contrary to the federal government's recommendations act negligently and must be aware that Switzerland can only provide limited assistance in emergencies. The travel advice can be found on the FDFA website. Advice has been prepared for 176 countries and is continually updated.