Timbuktu three refers to the three kidnap victims, South African Stephen Malcolm McGown, Swede Johan Gustafsson and Dutch Sjaak Rijke on 25 November 2011. A fourth German victim was shot, when he refused to climb into their truck.
A unit of the Al-Qaeda’s North African branch: al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) abducted the three from a restaurant in Timbuktu, Mali. Because McGowan has duel citizenship, South African & British, the group offered a trade to the British Government for Abu Qatada who was to be deported to Jordan, where he had been convicted of involvement in militant plots.
Since the kidnapping several videos have been released of the three, offered as proof of life.
Rijke was rescued by French forces in April 2015.
McGown and Gustafsson are still held captive.