Freed Canadian and Australian journalists leave Somalia, flying to neighboring Kenya

Freed foreign journalists leave Somalia

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Two foreign journalists freed after more than a year in captivity flew to neighboring Kenya, Somalia’s national security minister said Thursday.

Canadian Amanda Lindhout and Australian Nigel Brennan early Thursday flew out of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, in a chartered plane, Mohamed Abdullahi said.

Journalists waiting at Mogadishu airport were not able to speak to Lindhout and Brennan because the pair were in a convoy of vehicles full of government soldiers and African Union peacekeepers.

Lindhout and Brennan were released on Wednesday. Police spokesman Col. Abdullahi Hassan Barise declined to say if a ransom was paid for their release.

A police officer and a lawmaker said late Wednesday that a $700,000 ransom was paid for the two journalists’ release. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media on the issue. It was not possible to independently verify their claim.

In Australia, Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said on Thursday that Brennan “has revealed that he had been pistol whipped and locked in chains for the past 10 months after a failed escape attempt. I’m sure that all Queenslanders would join me in offering our heartfelt goodwill to Mr. Brennan and his entire family.”

Kellie Brennan, Nigel’s sister-in-law, told reporters: “It’s very hard to express the overwhelming sense of joy that we have today.”

Lindhout and Brennan were kidnapped in August 2008. A Somali journalist who was captured with them was freed in January this year.

Paris-based Reporters Without Borders has said Lindhout and Brennan are freelance journalists.

Journalists and humanitarian workers are frequently abducted for ransoms in Somalia, one of the world’s poorest and most war torn countries. Foreign and local workers generally travel in convoys heavily guarded by freelance militiamen.

Somalia has been mired in anarchy and chaos since 1991 when warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.