Four missing Moroccan truck drivers near Burkina Faso/Niger border are found in good health

Four Moroccan truck drivers traveling from Burkina Faso to Niger who went missing on Saturday have been found, according to Hespress.

The three trucks, including one carrying two drivers, ventured into the volatile region without an armed escort, despite it being the standard precaution due to the ongoing threat of jihadist attacks in the Sahel, Reuters reports.

Burkina Faso and Mali, both governed by military juntas, have been battling Islamic insurgencies tied to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State for over a decade, leading to widespread insecurity in the region.

The trucks, which were transporting infrastructure equipment, departed from Casablanca two weeks prior, according to Echarki el-Hachmi, Secretary General of Morocco’s transporters’ union.

After waiting for a week in Burkina Faso for an escort, the drivers decided to continue their journey unescorted toward Niger.

The drivers are reportedly unharmed but their trucks have not yet been located, Hespress reports. The African Union is reportedly currently negotiating with those who apprehended the drivers to secure the release of the trucks.

El-Hachmi has called for greater protection for Moroccan truck drivers, who have frequently been targeted in the region.

He recalled a previous incident in January when insurgents attacked 30 Moroccan trucks traveling in a convoy near the Mali-Mauritania border. While there were no injuries in that attack, the trucks were severely damaged.