The Italian aid worker, Stefano Sotgia, kidnapped last month by Somali militiamen was on Monday afternoon reported to be well as he celebrated his release with colleagues from the Terra Nuova NGO at its headquarters in Nairobi. The NGO's regional representative Vittorio Cognolati told IRIN that Sotgia had been "basically treated well", though tensions and arguments amid different factions among his kidnappers had given him cause
for concern once in a while.
Cognolati said Sotgia's release had been achieved "through elders and others being able to put enough pressure on the kidnappers". The kidnapped veterinarian, who had been working on a rinderpest vaccination programme in Lower Juba region, was set free in Asmdow on Sunday. Cognolati was unable to say on Monday whether Terra Nuova would be resuming its operations in the region, which were suspended following the abduction.
This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions
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