 Donal O’Suilleabhain, kidnapped in Ethiopia, has been freed |
BBC NEWS
Saturday, September 23, 2006
An Irish aid worker kidnapped in Ethiopia has been released, the Irish government has said.
Donal O’Suilleabhain, 41, from County Sligo, and an Ethopian colleague were abducted about 31 miles outside Gode town in the Ogaden region on Monday.
The pair had been travelling in a convoy of Red Cross vehicles stopped by an armed gang.
“I particularly want to thank our diplomatic staff overseas and the hard work of of the Red Cross in ensuring his safe release,” he said.
On Friday, Red Cross general secretary Carmel Lynch said the Irishman had made contact by phone with the Red Cross in the area and “reassured them they are both well and are being treated well”.
The Department of Foreign Affairs sent an experienced kidnap negotiator to Ethiopia to assist the Red Cross.
Donal’s father, Brian, said on Wednesday that most of his son’s work was in dangerous areas.
“Naturally we worry about him. But he is capable and he is level-headed,” he said.
“I don’t think he would do anything to annoy his captors. He is the kind of person who would probably try to establish a good relationship with them.”
Mr O’Suilleabhain is a water and sanitation engineer who has worked overseas for the International Red Cross for several years.
He has spend periods in Darfur and Liberia.
Mr O’Suilleabhain has worked for the aid agency building new wells to provide clean water supplies for hundreds of thousands of people for last two years.
Source: BBC, Sept 23, 2006
