Mali opposition leader dies after contracting virus

Malian opposition leader Soumaila Cissé, who was held hostage for six months by jihadists and considered a leading contender for 2022 elections, has died in Paris, his family said Friday. Cissé, 70, died after contracting COVID-19, his eldest son Bocar told The Associated Press. "The doctors did everything to keep him alive, but that's the way of God's will," he said.

The news throws Malian politics into new uncertainty. Cissé  as the runner-up in the past three presidential elections and was considered to be a major threat to finally win in 2022. He was taken hostage in March while campaigning for legislative elections in his hometown of Niafunke in northern Mali by a group affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

Amid public pressure, the Malian government obtained his release, along with that of French and Italian hostages, in exchange for freeing some 200 jihadists from Malian prisons. No immediate funeral plans were announced.