Soumaila Cissé's six month detention at the hands of suspected jihadis could soon be other.

In war torn Mali, such releases are not common, but the move takes place in a very special context.

According to sources, Malian authorities are currently negociating to free opposition leader Soumaila Cissé, and humanitarian aid worker Sophie Petronin.

Three times runner-up in the presidential elections Soumaïla Cissé was campaigning in Timbuktu ahead of the legislative elections when he was kidnapped on March 25th.

Sophie Petronin, a French aid worker has been kept in captivity since 2016.In the last video where she appeared, Petronin along side other hostages seemed very weak, prompting further calls for her release. Should both hostages be released, it would be seen as a great success for the new transitional government, after former president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita's failure in the issue.