CNN has been unable to independently verify the video and it was not clear when it was filmed.
“I’m speaking to my family, my friends and the French authorities for them to do everything in their power to free me,” he said, sitting barefoot in what appears to be a tent.
In a news conference Wednesday, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal addressed Dubois’ disappearance, but he did not the identify the kidnappers and said that French authorities were working to confirm the clip’s authenticity.
“We are in contact with his family and we are working with the Malian authorities,” Attal said. “Our thoughts are with his loved ones and the news organizations he worked with.”
Dubois is a correspondent based in Mali and in the Sahel, where he reports regularly for several French media outlets, including the magazine Le Point and the newspaper Libération.
“An experienced reporter who knows the region well, he went to this very dangerous area in the east of the country on his own initiative,” RSF said on Twitter, urging the French authorities to do everything in their power to get him released.
“We are extremely concerned for the safety of journalist Olivier Dubois and urge Malian and French authorities to thoroughly investigate his disappearance,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s African program coordinator. “Too often, the disappearance of a journalist is followed by tragedy and unanswered questions. We hope this is not the case here.”
France has repeatedly denied paying ransoms to Islamist groups for hostages in the past.
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