Incident Summary:
08/23/2008: On Saturday, two freelance journalists, their interpreter, and two drivers were abducted at gunpoint by Hizbul al Islam assailants while en route to a refugee camp outside Mogadishu in Banaadir province, Somalia. An alarm was raised when Australian Nigel Brennan and Canadian Amanda Lindhout did not return to their hotel in Mogadishu as expected around 1200. The Somali journalists union NUSOJ said the journalists were being held in northeast Mogadishu, and reports indicate that the kidnappers demanded a ransom of $2.5 million USD. On January 15, 2009 three hostages were released, including the translator, Abdifatah Mohamed Elmi, and two drivers. On November 25, 2009, Brennan and Lindhout were released as well. In June 2015 Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrested Ali Omar Ader, a Somali national who had served as negotiator for the kidnappers.
Overview
GTD ID:
200808210002
When:
2008-08-23
Country:
Somalia
Region:
Sub-Saharan Africa
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Banaadir
City:
Near Mogadishu
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Hostage Taking (Kidnapping) |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Journalists & Media |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
Amanda Lindhout, Canadian journalist |
Nationality of Target |
Canada |
Target Type: Journalists & Media |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
Nigel Brennan, Australian journalist |
Nationality of Target |
Australia |
Target Type: Journalists & Media |
Name of Entity |
|
Specific Description |
Abdifatah Mohammed Elmi, Somali photo-journalist and two Somali drivers |
Nationality of Target |
Somalia |
Additional Information
Hostages |
Yes |
Number of Hostages |
5 |
US Hostages |
0 |
Days of Kidnapping |
459 |
Outcome |
Hostage(s) released by perpetrators |
Ransom |
Yes |
Total Ransom Amount Demanded |
2500000.00 |
Ransom Amount Demanded from US Sources |
Unknown |
Total Ransom Amount Paid |
Unknown |
Total Ransom Amount Paid by US Sources |
Unknown |
Ransom Notes |
Sources indicate that a ransom was paid but do not specify the amount. |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Weapon Details |
Unknown firearms were used in the attack. |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Doubt Terrorism Proper () |
No |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
0 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 5 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
5 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
CBC News, "Captors free Somali journalist but no word on Canadian colleague," CBC News, January 16, 2009. |
CBC News, "Canadian Amanda Lindhout freed in Somalia," CBC News, November 25, 2009. |
Reuters, "Canada arrests Somali for alleged role in journalist kidnap," Reuters, June 12, 2015. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties