Foreign hostages in Somalia
Encyclopedia
Kidnapping
and hostage taking has become a common occurrence in Somalia
since 2008, while the country is still facing civil war
(see: War in Somalia (2006–present)
.
For crews kidnapped off the Somali coast, see Piracy in Somalia
The following is a list of known hostages taken in Somalia.
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
and hostage taking has become a common occurrence in Somalia
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
since 2008, while the country is still facing civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
(see: War in Somalia (2006–present)
War in Somalia (2006–present)
The War in Somalia was an armed conflict involving largely Ethiopian and Somali Transitional Federal Government forces and Somali troops from Puntland versus the Somali Islamist umbrella group, the Islamic Court Union , and other affiliated militias for control of the country. There is a clear...
.
For crews kidnapped off the Somali coast, see Piracy in Somalia
Piracy in Somalia
Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century...
The following is a list of known hostages taken in Somalia.
Timeline
- April 1, 2008: The British environmentalist Murray Watson and his Kenyan colleague Patrick Amukhuma, employees of an Indian company under contract with UN, were seized by gunmen. They have not been seen or heard from since and no group has ever claimed responsibility for the kidnapping.
- July 14, 2009: Somali gunmen kidnapped two French security consultants working for the government from the Sahafi hotel in Mogadishu. The men were subsequently split between Hizbul Islam and al ShabaabAl-Shabaab (Somalia)Harakat al-Shabaab al-Mujahideen , more commonly known as al-Shabaab , is a terrorist group of militants fighting to overthrow the government of Somalia. As of 2011, the group controls large swathes of the southern parts of Somalia, where it is said to have imposed its own strict form of Sharia law...
. One of the hostages, Marc Aubriere, escaped from his kidnappers while they slept on August 26, 2009. The other hostage, Denis Allex, is still being held. He is the longest held foreign hostage in Somalia.
- August 23, 2008: The Canadian journalist Amanda LindhoutAmanda LindhoutAmanda Lindhout is a Canadian humanitarian and former freelance journalist who was kidnapped on August 23, 2008 in Somalia...
, the Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan and the Somali photojournalist Abdifatah Mohamed Elmi were seized near Mogadishu along with two drivers. Abdifatah and the two drivers were released on January 15, 2009. Amanda and Nigel were released on November 25, 2009.
- October 23, 2009: A British couple, Paul and Rachel Chandler, were kidnapped from their 38 ft sailing boat off the archipelago of the Seychelles during the night. The distress signal was sent out at 22h00. Naval forces and Search & Rescue centres did not swing into full action until the story broke on 27 October and Somalis informed the media that the couple was in their hands. The yacht S/Y Lynn Rival was found the next day by naval forces, abandoned off the Central Somali Coast. The two hostages had been first taken onto a previously hijacked merchant ship, the MVMerchant vesselA merchant vessel is a ship that transports cargo or passengers. The closely related term commercial vessel is defined by the United States Coast Guard as any vessel engaged in commercial trade or that carries passengers for hire...
Kota Wajar, and then onto land near Ceel HuurCeel HuurEl Hur is an historical village located south of the city of Hobyo in the north-central Mudug region of Somalia. The town sits at a latitude of 5° 4' 10 N and a longitude of 48° 16' 9 E.-References:*...
, north of Harardheere. The couple were released on 14 November 2010, after a reported £600,000 ransom was paid.
- September 11, 2011: Somalia gunmen stormed KiwayuKiwayuKiwayuu is a small island in the eastern part of the Lamu Archipelago, situated in the Kiunga Marine National Reserve. The main economic activity is fishing, and there is one school, no clinic and one well on the island...
island, KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, and kidnapped Briton Judith Tebbutt. Her husband David was killed. Judith was then taken to Somalia.
- October 1, 2011: Frenchwoman Marie Dedieu was kidnapped from KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
's Manda IslandManda IslandManda is an island of the Lamu Archipelago of Kenya, known for the prosperous 9th century ports of Takwa and Manda town. The island is now linked by ferry to Lamu and is home to Manda Airport, while Manda Toto island lies to its west...
and taken to Somalia. Dedieu, who was paraplegic, died later in the month.
- October 13: Two Spanish aid workers employed by Medecins Sans FrontieresMédecins Sans Frontières' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
were kidnapped from the DadaabDadaabDadaab is a semi-arid town in the North Eastern Province in Kenya. As of 2011, it hosts what is often described as the largest refugee camp in the world.-General:...
refugee camp in Kenya. They were taken to Somalia.
- October 25: American Jessica Buchanan and Dane Poul Hagen Thisted were abducted by Somalis in northern Galkayo, Somalia. Both were working for the Danish Refugee CouncilDanish Refugee CouncilDanish Refugee Council is a private Danish humanitarian organisation, founded in 1956. It serves as an umbrella organization for 33 member organizations....
.