Abduction follows days of violence which left 89 dead and hundreds wounded.
Two foreign journalists – one Canadian and one Australian – in addition to a Somali journalist and the driver that was with them, were all kidnapped in Somalia on Saturday, reports CNN. Journalists Amanda Lindhout of Canada and Nigel Brenan of Australia, had only been in Somali for three days before being abducted by members of a militia outside of Mogadishu, the National Union of Somali Journalists announced Sunday. Somali photojournalist Abdifathah Mohammed Elmi also acted as a translator for the group, which was traveling after talking to refugees at a refugee camp. Officials aren’t yet clear about the motive of the kidnapping. “No formal claim of responsibility was made. As well, there have been no demands,” the journalist group said. This weekend’s kidnappings cap off a violent week in Somalia, which saw 89 people dead, 207 people wounded and 5,500 people displaced due to fighting in Kismayo. After three days of violence, an Islamic group, Al Shabab, took over the town on Friday. The country has been in turmoil since 1991 when the government was overthrown by militants. Ethiopian troops entered the nation in 2006 to drive militants out of Mogadishu and help install a transitional government. However, their involvement has led to increased fighting between militants and Ethiopian troops, leaving thousands of Somalis homeless.

TAGS: foreign, journalists, kidnaps, militia, somali

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