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Kidnappers in Somalia seized a Pakistani oil worker for a brief period of time on October 8, whilst in Kenya two government employees were also abducted in separate incidents that again highlight the risks to foreigners travelling and working in the region. The military quickly released the hostage by force, killing one of the kidnappers in the process.
Kidnappings onshore have increased dramatically this year, reflecting the sharp increase in maritime piracy in the region, as the Western- backed interim government battles Islamist insurgents.
Officials reported that the Pakistani man, who was working for Canada's African Oil Corp., was kidnapped by his bodyguards 50 miles south of Bosasso.
Kenyan police also reported that armed men had abducted an agriculture ministry employee and his driver on the southern Somalian border on October 6. A Somalian official said the two men had been taken into Somalia and attributed the abduction to hired militia from outside the country, with the intention of disrupting relations between Somalia and Kenya.
Hostages seized in Somalia are normally released unharmed after payment of ransoms, although the security forces also manage to release hostages using force.
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