Erigavo, Somalia
HERALD journalist Anne Johnstone and two MPs were yesterday seized by
gunmen as they accompanied aid workers on a fact-finding mission to
north-west Somalia -- an area devastated by famine and bloody feuds
between local warlords.
This was Anne Johnstone's third trip to famine-struck areas. The
award-winning journalist, who is also Scottish secretary of the
Ethiopian Gemini Trust which runs a sponsorship scheme giving Scots the
opportunity to adopt twins from the Third World, has travelled twice to
Ethiopia.
Here she gives a dramatic account of how she, MPs Tony Worthington and
Mark Robinson, and an aid worker were held hostage by Somali gunmen.
As the MPs and the aid worker were about to be released one of their
captors aimed his gun at them as his fellow gunmen urged him to open
fire. Anne Johnstone, who had been released earlier, tells how they
escaped during the ensuing gun battle.
THE two British MPs and an aid worker held by gunmen in a remote area
of north-west Somalia were released unharmed after a dramatic gun battle
yesterday.
Mr Tony Worthington and Mr Mark Robinson along with ActionAid's Jeff
Chinnock ran to safety in a hail of bullets after being held hostage for
24-hours.
At one point in the final moments of the drama one of the terrorists
aimed his gun at them while others urged him to kill them.
''I thought we had had it,'' said Mr Worthington, Labour MP for
Clydebank and Milngavie. He was shaken but smiling on his return to
Erigavo, the regional capital.
I had been taken hostage with the three men but was released after one
hour.
After their release the three hostages praised the heroism of a local
doctor, Dr Hersi. The doctor had volunteered to go to the scene and
negotiate for their release.
He spent several hours trying to persuade the gunmen that they would
achieve nothing by the kidnapping and would not be paid ransom money.
He considered drugging the gunmen and tried to secure Mr Worthington's
release on the pretext that his blood pressure was raised, but it was
rejected by the hostages.
Eventually Dr Hersi hailed some members of his clan who were waiting
nearby. They succeeded in disarming two of the gunmen.
When the third gunman seemed ready to shoot the hostages Dr Hersi
shouted: ''You are dead if you shoot them.'' At this point the gunman
threw down his weapon but a fourth gunman, hiding in the bushes started
to open fire.
Dr Hersi and his men protected the hostages as they ran towards the
vehicles parked half-a-mile away.
Mr Worthington said last night: ''These men saved our lives, even
putting their bodies between us and the gunmen.'' No one was injured
during the rescue.
Their capture had taken place 24 hours earlier. We had been at a
number of places at the coast around the town of Xiis and had travelled
inland to Erigavo. We were stopped by a group of armed men not far from
the town and we were taken hostage.
While some of the party were allowed to continue, I was held along
with the two MPs and the aid workers.
There was no question of banditry. They were not interested in money,
watches, or anything like that.
We were well treated. They appeared to want to take us so that they
could use us as a bargaining tool with local politicians.
There were a lot a crazy rumours flying around but we know very little
about these people and there was no question of them making demands for
our release. It appears to be some form of local clan rivalry.
After my release the three had been taken to a mud hut.
ActionAid was allowed to bring them water, food, blankets and warm
clothing but they slept only fitfully. Only yesterday the three men were
taken to a forest clearing.
''It was hard to tell how many of them there were because local
farmers kept coming past with their cattle and stopping for a chat.
Everyone seems to carry guns here,'' Mr Worthington said.
Mr Robinson managed to negotiate for a radio and they listened for
news of their capture on the BBC World Service. He said: ''We think they
knew exactly who was in the vehicles. The whole thing was clearly well
planned. They said we could be there a day or it might be three.''
Mr Chinnock, who is external affairs manager for ActionAid said: ''We
were trying to be terribly polite so there were lots of pleases and
thank yous.
''We are shaken but well. During our captivity, we were supplied with
food and water and we were aware that the local elders (community
leaders) were doing all they could to secure our safe release.
''But the final moments were scary. All the gunmen had put down their
arms and we were free to go. But one started shooting. We ran under fire
to the safety of the elders' Land Rover.
''This is an isolated incident for northern Somalia and we should not
forget the major steps to peace that are taking place in the region.''
They are expected to fly to the neighbouring state of Djibouti today.
A spokeswoman for ActionAid said that the two MPs, Anne Johnstone, and
Mr Chinnock are due to fly home from Djibouti to London on Sunday
morning.
The spokeswoman added: ''I think they are all very relieved. The three
who went through the experience are now asleep. Anne Johnstone seems to
be fine and, although she was released earlier, I think she was very
worried and is also very relieved and very tired.''
Earlier, on hearing of the kidnap in the remote breakaway Somaliland
republic, its self-styled ''president'' Mohamed Ibrahim Egal reportedly
told Reuters he was sending his forces to punish the kidnappers and
demanded the group's immediate release.
''I have put out an ultimatum that there should be no ransom and they
should be released immediately. I have alerted my militia,'' he said.
Mr Robinson, 47, is the Tory member for Somerton and Frome.
The British Ambassador in Ethiopia, Mr James Glaze, said last night:
''I would hate the impression to be given that Somaliland is full of
bloodthirsty bandits. When the party was taken hostage that greatly
offended a neighbouring clan who took swift and effective action.''
Last night Mr Worthington's wife, Angela, said she was ''delighted and
relieved'' at her husband's safe release. Speaking at his constituency
offices she added: ''It's really good news. He'll get a very warm
welcome home. Fortunately the waiting and worrying has not been too
long.''
Mrs Worthington, who heard of her husband's capture at 1am, said she
was always concerned when he went to trouble spots but did not think
this experience would change his attitude to work.
''The Foreign Office said he would try to phone home tonight if it is
at all possible. I'm convinced he'll try to get through,'' she said.
The news that the hostages were safe was announced in the Commons by
the Leader of the House, Mr Tony Newton, accompanied by the Prime
Minister. He broke into MPs' proceedings and brought cheers from all
sides.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: ''We can confirm that they are at the
ActionAid office in Erigavo and we understand they will fly out
tomorrow.
''It is too dark to consider flying them out tonight.''
The Foreign Office said no ransom demand had been made and that the
kidnap had resulted from a dispute between their captors, members of the
Mousa Ismail clan, and a rival clan.
Mr Worthington faces a severe reprimand from his party when he returns
to Britain. He went to Somalia without permission from Labour leader
John Smith.
The other two members of the party who had been released earlier along
with Ms Johnstone were aid worker Robin Lemare and local ActionAid
employee Haroon Youssef.
A Foreign Office spokesman said that during their captivity the
hostages had been taken soap, blankets and other supplies by a local
Somali employee of ActionAid.
Anne Johnstone is married to financial journalist Alistair Balfour.
They live in the village of Blanefield outside Glasgow with their three
young children.
Mr Robinson is parliamentary private secretary to Overseas Development
Minister Lynda Chalker. He was educated at Harrow and Oxford and is
married with a 10-year-old daughter and a son, seven.
Mr Worthington is one of Labour's foreign affairs spokesmen and
entered the Commons at the 1987 General Election.
He has served previously as Labour Front-Bench spokesman on Scottish
affairs, with special reference to education, employment, training, and
social work.
In Strasbourg, a debate in the European Parliament had been
interrupted by British Euro-MPs demanding action to free the captives.
Mrs Pauline Green, leader of the parliament's Labour group, had asked
the assembly's president, Egon Klepsch, to make clear to the Somalis
that abuse of parliamentarians on fact-finding missions was utterly
rejected.
ActionAid said the group's itinerary, viewing the charity's projects
in the region, was agreed with government officials and local
authorities and included meetings at Ministerial level.
The Somaliland republic, which has no international recognition,
declared secession from the rest of Somalia in May 1991 as the country
plunged into tribal war and famine.
Its borders follow the old boundaries of the colonial territory ruled
by Britain up to independence in July 1960, when it was joined with the
rest of Italian-ruled Somalia.
Clan gunmen freed an Italian aid worker unharmed in central Somalia
earlier this week after holding him for about 24 hours.
They demanded a #6500 ransom but his agency said it was not paid.
UN officials in the capital Mogadishu and aid workers have warned of
increased lawlessness and banditry once US and allied Western
contingents withdraw from the country on March 31.
MP faces reprimand2
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