Moroccan truck drivers kidnapped in Burkina Faso have been released

Four Moroccan truck drivers who were kidnapped in West Africa over the weekend have been released in Niger. The drivers are the latest victims of insecurity in the Sahel, an arid swath of land south of the Sahara where militant groups such as the Islamic State Sahel Province have expanded their presence. The Moroccan Embassy in Burkina Faso informed Morocco’s Transport Union that the four drivers have been freed and are safe in Niamey. Moroccan authorities did not respond to questions about possible ransom.