U.S. missionary who was kidnapped in Niger is released

FILE - Motorcyclist ride along a street in Niamey, Niger, Thursday, June 18, 2026. AP Photo/AP hide caption

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A U.S. missionary who was kidnapped in Niger in October 2025 has been released, the Christian NGO he works for announced on Friday.

Kevin Rideout "is in good health in the care of US officials," SIM International said in a statement, adding he would soon be reunited with his family.

Details of how and where Rideout was released were not given. The U.S. State Department has not yet confirmed his release.

Rideout was kidnapped on October 21 in Niamey, the capital of Niger, a junta-ruled nation long plagued by insecurity.

While no group claimed responsibility for the abduction, a number of jihadist groups linked to al-Qaida and the Islamic State organization operate in the West African country.

The country has become increasingly anti-Western since the 2023 military coup that overthrew the democratically-elected government.

In 2024, at the request of the junta, the U.S. completed a withdrawal of hundreds of troops from an airbase in the country, which had been used to support counterterrorism operations.

However, this year the U.S. government announced it had donated $2.3 million in military equipment to Niger after "both sides reaffirmed a shared commitment to security cooperation."

"This assistance reflects our shared interest in countering terrorism, combating kidnapping for ransom, disrupting criminal networks, and strengthening regional security," a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Niger said in May.

"It advances United States national security interests by helping a partner in the Sahel defend its territory, secure its borders, and reduce threats that can affect our respective nations."