Kenyan woman rescued from Somali pirates after 3-year captivity

Sunday October 30, 2016

A file photo of Kenyan fishermen alighting from a Spanish Naval warship after they were rescued from Somali pirates on September 20, 2015. /NORBERT ALLAN

A Kenyan woman captured by Somali pirates was on Saturday rescued by Galmudug special forces after more than three years in captivity.

Reports indicate Louis Njoki is currently in safe hands of Galmudug authorities awaiting to be repatriate to Kenya.

Galmudug is one of the federal regional administrations of Somalia, formed in June 2015.

"It was well-coordinated operation where they managed to rescue her. Shots were fired during the raid, but it's not clear if they were any casualties," said East African Seafarers coordinator Andrew Mwangura.

Mwangura said Njoki is currently undergoing treatment.

Njoki was captured along with her partner James Kuria while delivering medicine in the country in 2014.

Kuria was freed during a raid by Somali security forces in February last year.
Two Kenyan nationals including George Mburu and George Macharia are still in the hands of their captors since 2014.

The two were working for a construction company in Mogadishu when they were kidnapped by militia from Habargidir.

Another Kenyan Patrick Amukhuma, who was kidnapped along with Dr Murray Watson in 2008, is still missing.

The group believed to have captured the two Kenyan civil engineers is under the control of Mohammed Gafanje.

Mwagura said the pirates have demanded ransom to set the three free, but did not specify the amount.

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He added the three were living in deplorable conditions in Harardhere District in Galgaduud region.
On October 24, Somali pirates released 26 crew members of an Oman-flagged fishing vessel FV NAHAN 3.

The vessel had been hijacked south of the Seychelles in March 2012 and was released after negotiation and possible payment of ransom.

One crew member died during the hijacking, while two others died from illness during captivity.
Among the hostages were men from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Mwagura said few such incidents have been reported within the Gulf of Aden. He said they targeted a civilian ship, a US Navy vessel and a United Arab Emirates merchant ship in attacks early this year.

Piracy became a major threat to international shipping in 2012, prompting interventions by the United Nations, European Union and NATO.

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