Somalia

Two health worker hostages released

Article published on the 2009-04-28 Latest update 2009-04-28 10:32 TU

Michel Peremans of MSF Belgium International, speaking in Brussels this month
(Photo: Reuters)

Two expatriate workers with the NGO Médecins sans frontières (MSF) were released on Tuesday, according to local elders in Somalia. They were kidnapped on 19 April and were released without the payment of a ransom. Cheikh Aden Yare, from the Islamist group Al-Shebab, said they were released "without condition".

A ransom demand of one million dollars had been made initially but this was raised to four million.

The two workers are health workers, from Holland and Belgium. Michel Peremans of MSF Belgium said he was unable to confirm the release but the Belgian worker told media by telephone "we are free. We are with the elders and the local authorities. We're obviously delighted".

The two health workers were kidnapped on the way to Hodur, near the Ethiopian border, nine days ago. They were moved several times by their abductors.

Their kidnappers were the same people who seized four UN workers in mid-March in Wajid.

Meanwhile, the Spanish Defence Ministry said on Monday that one of its warships had intercepted a skiff carrying nine people in the Indian ocean. It believes they were pirates responsible for attacking an Italian cruise ship at the weekend.

The Italian boat, Melody, was carring 1,500 people and repelled the pirate attack.