KENYA: American United Nations employee who was held hostage by gunmen in Somalia arrives in Kenya after his release

Record ID: 362883

  • Title: KENYA: American United Nations employee who was held hostage by gunmen in Somalia arrives in Kenya after his release
  • Date: 4th March 2006
  • Summary: MEDIA
  • Embargoed: 19th March 2006 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: War / Fighting
  • Reuters ID: LVA5T9X69VPUAZQ99GDZRF8A42PG
  • Story Text: An American working for the United Nations children's agency (UNICEF) who was kidnapped in southern Somalia because of a financial matter on Friday (March 3) arrived in Nairobi, Kenya after his release.
    Robert McCarthy, 47, was released on Thursday in to the custody of U.N. security officers and members of Somalia's interim government.
    He had been abducted the day before on the outskirts of Afmadow, 110 km (68 miles) northwest of the southern port of Kismayo. " I was well taken care of, I was not mistreated and i had a great deal of confidence that the issue will be resolved and throughout I was able to maintain communication to the U.N. offices here," Robert Mccarthy told journalists in Nairobi's Wilson Airport.
    Somali government spokesman Abdirahman Dinari said that a local businessman, Hassan Amba Olow, had ordered the kidnapping because UNICEF owed him money.
    Government officials flew from Baidoa, where the Somali parliament is meeting, to intervene, he said.
    "Well, I understand there were some issues affecting an aggrieved party, in Afmad and this individual, he organised a group of militia, armed gunmen, so they were the ones who accosted us as we were driving and then he uses us as the basis for solving his grievances against whoever was concerned," Mcarthy said.
    The local district chairman in Afmadow, Haji Mahamud Abdi, said UNICEF owed the businessman 19,500, U.S.dollars but he had no details on the contract involved.
    U.N. spokeswoman Sandra Macharia declined to comment when asked about the business dispute.
    "We are very relieved that Mr. McCarthy has been released unharmed and thank the transitional federal government for demonstrating leadership in this critical time," UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said in a statement released late on Thursday.
    Kidnapping foreign workers has become a lucrative business for many militias and warlords in the lawless Horn of Africa nation. They are also often used to settle business disputes. Many aid organizations have chosen to work through local agencies or staff due to tremendous risks involved in delivering aid in the country of 10 million people.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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