AMISOM FORCES PRESSURE PROMPTS RELEASE OF UK HOSTAGE IN SOMALIA
Judith Tebbit, abducted by Somali terrorists of the Al Shabab movement in September last year from a beach camp in Kenya, when her husband was in fact shot dead during the night time raid, has been freed and flown to Nairobi yesterday according to sources in Kenya. Relentless military pressure by Kenyan armed forces, the AMISOM mission comprising Ugandan, Burundian and Djibouti troops and the recent cross border forward defense by Ethiopia has seemingly put the hostage takers under increased stress, compelling them to move repeatedly. Mrs. Tebbit was freed deep inland, apparently only 30 kilometres from the Ethiopian border and was flown to Nairobi for medical attention and debriefing before returning home to the UK and her family and friends later this week.
While it was not clear if any ransom money has been paid only recently were intermediates arrested again by Somali authorities with millions of US Dollars in their possession ostensibly meant to have some ships and crews freed at least the tormented woman was freed in the end.
Not long after the incident in Kiwayu was a French woman taken hostage too by the same group from her residence in Lamu but died soon afterwards as she needed permanent care which the abductors were unable to provide. The two incidents eventually pushed Kenya into a full scale invasion of Somalia by land, sea and air to push back militants from the border areas and bring peace and stability back to a country which has been in turmoil since the early 1990s when Siad Barres dictatorship was overthrown. Kenyas troops are now part of AMISOM, the UN and African Union peace keeping force in Somalia. Welcome back to freedom and liberty Judith.
