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