Somalia: UN trying to secure release of abducted local employee

United Nations authorities in Somalia and in New York are trying to secure the release of a local employee abducted earlier this week in Mogadishu, a UN spokesperson said today.

Ahmed Moalim Mohamed, a Somali staff member for the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), was on his way to work at the agency’s office in Mogadishu at about 8:30 a.m. when he was taken, spokesperson Marie Okabe told a press briefing in New York.

“Everything is being done, both by the UN country team and Headquarters, to secure his immediate release,” she said. “Information is very scarce at this time, and it is too early to speculate about why he was abducted.”

There are currently no international UN staff in Mogadishu, the spokesperson noted, adding that the abduction was the second incident over the past week involving a local Somali UN employee. Hassan Sheikh Ali, a consultant for UNICEF, was killed after he was accidentally caught in crossfire in Mogadishu near his home.

“The United Nations and UNICEF remain extremely concerned about the safety and security of all staff and consultants, and place their safety at the forefront of their operations,” Ms. Okabe said.