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STORY: French journalist Olivier Dubois arrived home on Tuesday (March 21) after nearly two years of captivity in Mali.

Dubois, who disappeared in Mali's northern city Gao in April 2021, was welcomed by the warm embrace of his family members as well as French president Emmanuel Macron.

He was released on Monday (March 20) alongside U.S. aid worker Jeffery Woodke, who had been held by militants in the Sahel region for six years.

Before flying home from Niger, Dubois had this to say.

"I just want to say that it's huge for me to be here, to be free. I didn't expect it at all. I want to pay tribute to Niger, and its know-how in this delicate type of situation, and to France, and to all those who allowed me to be here."

Nigerien authorities say Dubois and Woodke were being held by JNIM, a West African affiliate of al Qaeda.

French officials have not commented on the conditions for the release.

On Monday, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said they were delighted to get Woodke back in what was described as a "team effort".

"There were no concessions made. There were no swaps here. This was just hard, grueling, deliberate work by diplomats and other experts directly with the government of Niger to get him home."

Kidnappings are a common tactic by insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.

Those groups have repeatedly declared French nationals in West Africa to be targets since 2013 military intervention by France.

That's partly because of a perception that France is prepared to pay ransoms, which it denies.