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| Africa Horn |
| Two French Security Advisors Seized in Mog |
| 2009-07-15 |
| Unidentified gunmen have kidnapped two French security advisors from a hotel in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. Witnesses say at least 10 men stormed the Sahafi Hotel Tuesday, and grabbed the two foreigners from their rooms. The kidnapped men had registered at the hotel as journalists. But the French foreign ministry says they were on an official mission to help the Somali government with security matters. The ministry says all appropriate French agencies have been mobilized to help find the two. No one has claimed responsibility for the abductions. Several witnesses say some of the gunmen were wearing government uniforms. Sources in Mogadishu tell VOA the kidnapped men were taken into a part of the capital controlled by the Islamist militant group al-Shabab. The government recently appealed for foreign assistance to help fight the insurgent groups. The Paris-based media rights group, Reporters Without Borders, said it hoped for the men's quick release but expressed shock that they had been posing as journalists. The group said being a journalist is not a cover, it is a profession. It said their behavior endangers journalists in a region where reporting is already very dangerous. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 Well if you're not a very good security advisor, I suppose Mogadishu is the perfect place for you... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-07-15 00:08 |