German nurse abducted and held in Somalia for 7 years pleads for release in new video

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — 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”.

“The ICRC will continue to work tirelessly, with all its influence, for this outcome,” he said in statement, adding that the ICRC was “deeply concerned” for Nientiet’s health and the priority was to have her quickly released unharmed.

“In order not to undermine these, we cannot provide further information about the abduction, nor comment about its circumstances,” Cardon said.

Nientiet, who speaks calmly in English with a German accent in the video, has visibly aged from photos of her younger self. She wipes her tears while talking about her rescue being a matter of life and death.

Not much has been reported about Nientiet since her abduction and this is only the second video she has been seen in after a first one in 2018.

German Foreign Ministry said that the government does not comment on hostage cases involving German citizens abroad as a matter of principle.

The security situation in Somalia remains fluid with recent attacks by al-Shabab the latest being last week’s attack targeting a presidential convoy.

The Somali government has intensified its military campaign against al-Shabab in recent months, with troops making territorial gains in Middle Shabelle and other regions.