Françoise Claustre facts for kids

Françoise Claustre (born February 8, 1937 – died September 3, 2006) was a French archaeologist. An archaeologist is someone who studies human history. They do this by digging up old sites and objects. Françoise Claustre became well-known because she was taken hostage. This happened in Chad, a country in Africa.

Her Life and Work

Taken Hostage

On April 20, 1974, Françoise Claustre was taken hostage. This happened in a place called Bardaï, in the Tibesti Mountains of northern Chad. A group of rebels captured her. These rebels were led by a man named Hissène Habré.

Two other people were also captured at the same time. One was a German doctor, Christophe Staewen. The other was Marc Combe, who worked with Françoise's husband, Pierre.

Marc Combe managed to escape from the rebels. Dr. Staewen was released on June 11, 1974. The government of West Germany paid money to the rebels to free him. This money is called a ransom.

Efforts to Free Her

The French and Chadian governments tried to get Françoise released. They sent a military officer named Pierre Galopin to talk with the rebels. But the rebels captured him in August 1974. He died in April 1975. This happened after the French government would not trade him for weapons.

Françoise Claustre's husband, Pierre, was not in Bardaï when she was taken. He worked to get his wife freed. He even tried to help himself, but the rebels captured him too in August 1975.

The rebel leader, Habré, then threatened to harm the Claustres. He said he would hurt them if a large ransom was not paid. The French government paid some money. But it was not enough to get them released.

Freedom at Last

France then tried a different approach. They asked for help from the Libyan leader, Muammar al-Gaddafi. Gaddafi helped in the talks. Because of his help, Pierre and Françoise Claustre were finally released. They were set free in Tripoli, Libya, on February 1, 1977.

After her release, Françoise Claustre went back to her work. She continued to be an archaeologist in France. She told a magazine that she wanted to live a normal life again.

Her story was made into a film in 1990. It was called La Captive du désert. The film starred Sandrine Bonnaire. The director, Raymond Depardon, had actually met Françoise Claustre. He interviewed her while she was still a hostage. This interview was shown on TV. It made many people interested in her story. This encouraged the French government to act.

Françoise Claustre was born in Paris, France. She passed away at her home in Montauriol, France, in September 2006. She was 69 years old.

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