As reported by Medafrica Times on 24 June 2021, a Catholic priest and four of his parishioners who were kidnapped while traveling from Sƒ©guƒ© ‚ (in the center of the country) to a funeral in the town of San, have been released after less than 72 hours. The report states: "According to information provided by the governorate of Mopti, the five men owe their rapid release to the poor condition of their car. Their vehicle broke down not far from the Burkina Faso border. The kidnappers decided to abandon the vehicle somewhere in the bush and, thanks to the mediation of local Dogon and Fulani notables, they agreed to free their five hostages, who had become very cumbersome." World Watch Research analyst Yonas Dembele comments: "Mali is one of the most dangerous places to be a Christian. Islamic militants have taken advantage of the insecurity in the country and weak governmental control to conduct their activities. Christians travelling from one town to another in the Mopti region live under the constant threat of abduction. In this case, the five Christians were very fortunate not to have been killed when the kidnapping ran into difficulties."