A Nova Scotia man has been kidnapped in Burkina Faso's northern Sahel region, government officials said Wednesday.
A spokesman for Burkina Faso's security ministry identified the man as Kirk Woodman, who works for the Vancouver-based Progress Mineral Mining Company.
Spokesman Jean Paul Badoum said Wednesday that the employee was abducted overnight during a raid on a mining site in Tiabongou, about 20 kilometres from Mansila in Yagha province.
Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland said Canadian officials are reaching out to the kidnapping victim's family.
"The Canadian agencies involved in this situation are really aware of this situation, and we'll be in contact with the family," she told reporters in Repentigny, northeast of Montreal.
Woodman’s family has issued the following statement:
“We are asking for privacy and will not be speaking publicly. We have faith and trust in Canadian authorities to bring our husband and father home safe. We are hopeful for a fast resolution to the situation.”
Woodman's son, Matt, is an employee of CTV News in Edmonton. Matt Woodman is also a familiar name and face to viewers of CTV Atlantic. He worked in Halifax as a reporter and anchor for a number of years before moving to Edmonton.
That particular area of Burkina Faso has seen a number of foreign abductions in recent years, and the Canadian government has a strong warning against travel to large parts of the country.
West Africa's Sahel region has seen a number of abductions of foreigners in recent years by extremists linked to Al-Qaeda or the Islamic State organization.
Burkina Faso recently declared a state of emergency in the region as attacks by Islamic extremists increased, especially along the border with Niger and Mali.
With files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press.
