View all newsletters
Sign up for our free email newsletters

Fighting for quality news media in the digital age.

  1. News
November 26, 2008

Reports claim British journalist kidnapped in Somalia

By PA Mediapoint

A British journalist was kidnapped today while investigating piracy in Somalia, African police said.

The Foreign Office launched an urgent investigation into reports from local officers that a Briton – along with a Lebanese journalist – was captured in the strife-torn nation.

Abshir Abdi Jama, a police spokesman in the northern region of Puntland, was unable to confirm the pair’s identity, but said they were working on a story about piracy.

The second journalist was Irish rather than Lebanese, an adviser to the president of Puntland told CNN.

Bile Qabow Sade said the pair were kidnapped in a market.

Two other foreign journalists who were abducted near the Somali capital Mogadishu in August have still not been released.

The alleged kidnap comes after one of the British sailors held captive on a hijacked oil tanker made light of his ordeal, saying the hostages’ families “don’t have too much to worry about”.

Content from our partners
MHP Group's 30 To Watch awards for young journalists open for entries
How PA Media is helping newspapers make the digital transition
Publishing on the open web is broken, how generative AI could help fix it

Citing intelligence, Jama said he was unable to elaborate on the latest kidnap.

He added: “They were kidnapped, they are not missing.”

Somalia, an impoverished nation caught up in Islamic insurgency, has not had a functioning government since 1991.

The situation has gained international attention since pirates attacked the Sirius Star on November 15, 420 nautical miles off the coast.

The 1,080ft (330m) long ship was fully laden with two million barrels of oil when pirates boarded it and is the largest vessel ever to be hijacked in a region which has become notorious for piracy.

Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog

Select and enter your email address Weekly insight into the big strategic issues affecting the future of the news industry. Essential reading for media leaders every Thursday. Your morning brew of news about the world of news from Press Gazette and elsewhere in the media. Sent at around 10am UK time. Our weekly does of strategic insight about the future of news media aimed at US readers. A fortnightly update from the front-line of news and advertising. Aimed at marketers and those involved in the advertising industry.
  • Business owner/co-owner
  • CEO
  • COO
  • CFO
  • CTO
  • Chairperson
  • Non-Exec Director
  • Other C-Suite
  • Managing Director
  • President/Partner
  • Senior Executive/SVP or Corporate VP or equivalent
  • Director or equivalent
  • Group or Senior Manager
  • Head of Department/Function
  • Manager
  • Non-manager
  • Retired
  • Other
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how New Statesman Media Group may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
Thank you

Thanks for subscribing.

Websites in our network