Mr. Pierre Borghi has been working as a photographer in Afghanistan. He has been associated with the French non-government organization known as Solidaritès Internationale. This is an organization that helps people out in times of man-made and natural disasters. He has been involved with this organization since 2011 and has worked till 2012, before returning home. He went back to Kabul, Afghanistan in November 2012, to establish himself as a photographer. All didn’t go as planned and he was taken captive by unknown men.
It is unconfirmed yet who were his captors. It is also a matter of much speculation as to why he was captured as there have been no claims of any of the criminally active groups in the area. The last French prisoners to be released were Stephane Taponier and Herve Ghesquiere. They were taken prisoner on the 30th of December 2009 and released 18 months later. It was hinted that they were released in exchange for a ransom paid for by their government, but both the French and Afghan governments denied this vehemently.
The details as to how Pierre Borghi was captured are unavailable as of now, but it has been confirmed that the captors were armed. He was found by a guard of the patrol police group named Afghan Public Protection Force. This was confirmed by Shoaib Sharifi, Director of APPF. APPF was founded by the Afghan Government in 2009 to grant protection to its local and foreign citizens. Borghi was found near a check post near Maidan Shar, in the province of Wardak. How he got there is a mystery, but it is said that he managed to escape from his captors. Unnamed officials in Kabul have claimed that he had been released, along with other French prisoner, and he had not escaped. From there he was brought safely to Kabul by the patrolling group of guards. On arriving, he was said to have requested for a cup of coffee, appearing mostly unruffled.
Wardak is a province that is located near the center of Afghanistan. The capital of the province is Maidan Shar, the place where Pierre Borghi was found. Wardak is registered as a “High Risk” province by the Ministry of Interiors in Afghanistan as a result of much Taliban activity in the area. The rate of crime, including kidnapping, is very high in this province. The victims of kidnapping do not include foreign citizens only, but wealthy local citizens, as well. The kidnappers are members of either Taliban or Al Qaeda faction or even common local criminals. It is unclear as to which of these groups are responsible for the kidnapping of Mr. Pierre Borghi. The details of his time in imprisonment are also unavailable.
He arrived in Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on a flight from Delhi. His family has met up with him and has confirmed that Borghi appears to be in good health. They met with him in a private room in the airport where a ministry official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France was also present.
While it may have ended well for Borghi, we can only hope that Afghanistan will become a friendlier place for its citizens as well as foreign visitors.
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