# $50 million hostage ransom funded al Qaeda’s Mali offensive, UN says

https://mins.news/en/item/22642

- Reuters, 2026-08-14 23:25 UTC
- World
- Original: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/50-million-hostage-ransom-funded-al-qaedas-mali-offensive-un-says-2026-08-14/?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=6a7fa3d7325a7500012aab82

> U.N. experts said an estimated $50 million ransom paid in late 2025 to secure the release of a hostage seized by al Qaeda-linked militants in Mali helped finance the group’s advances across West Africa and its global network.