“We are very relieved and grateful that our colleague, Jörg Lange, can return to his family after more than 4.5 years,” said Help’s director general, Bianca Kaltschmitt. She thanked all those who contributed to his release, “in particular the crisis cell of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the police and the authorities and friends in Mali, Niger and the surrounding countries”.
According to Der Spiegel, the Moroccan secret service cooperated in his release. A ransom was allegedly demanded by the organization that held him – Etat islamique dans le Grand Sahara (EIGS) – but it is not clear whether any money was paid.
According to German media, Lange is in the embassy in Bamako (Mali) and will be taken to Germany as soon as possible. The man is married and has four children. In recent years he regularly wrote letters to them from his captivity.