Washington D.C. – AP, March 27, 2025
A German nurse abducted while working in Somalia seven years ago has pleaded with the German government to secure her release as security in the country continues to be fluid after an attempted assassination on the president by al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants.
In a video shared on social media, a visibly distressed Sonja Nientiet says her health has deteriorated and that what has kept her going is the hope that she’ll see her loved ones.
Nientiet was taken from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) compound in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu through a back door on May 3, 2018. Authorities in Somalia later said it was an inside job by a disgruntled former employee.
ICRC spokesperson Christian Cardon said the video provided “hope for her release”.
