French aid worker describes years in captivity in Mali desert

French aid worker Sophie Petronin who was freed from captivity in the hands of Islamist insurgents, speaks to the media in Bamako, Mali October 9, 2020.REUTERS/Paul Logerie

BAMAKO (Reuters) - At one point during her four years in the hands of jihadist militants in northern Mali, French aid worker Sophie Petronin said she felt like giving up hope. She wandered into the desert, sat on the ground in the baking sun and wept.

The 75-year old, who ran a charity for malnourished and orphaned children when she was kidnapped near the desert city of Gao in late 2016, was one of four hostages released and flown to the capital Bamako late on Thursday.