Two RFI journalists kidnapped and killed in Kidal

France's Foreign Ministry has confirmed the death of RFI’s correspondents in northern Mali, Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, who were kidnapped in Kidal by a group of men on Saturday afternoon.

Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon RFI

Dupont and Claude were taken by four men in front of the home of Ambéry Ag Rissa, a top MNLA representative in Kidal whom they had just interviewed.

The two were reportedly killed shortly after being abducted, some 15 kilometres east of Kidal, on the road to Tinessako.

Ambéry Ag Rissa said he opened the door to his home after hearing noise in the street and saw the journalists taken in a beige vehicle. He was threatened and told to stay inside.

The journalists’ driver was pushed to the floor. He heard Verlon and Dupont protest.

The reporters were on their second assignment Kidal. They had gone there in July to cover the first round of the presidential election.

French troops are in Mali as part of the Serval operation, but according to the French Presidency, there had been no authorisation of force in the region.

This comes just days after four French men held hostage in Niger since 2010 were released and arrived back in France.