Dakar: A deal to free an American hostage held by an Islamic State affiliate in West Africa's Sahel region was brokered with the help of the eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar, four sources told Reuters. The hostage, a pilot working for a Christian missionary organization in Niger, was handed over to eastern Libyan authorities late Thursday, one of the sources said.
Libya's role in the deal has not previously been reported. Haftar's involvement in the freeing of a U.S. hostage reflects how he has carved out a position as a major security broker in the Sahel region, and has used it as leverage to curry favour with the Trump administration.
