Journo feared kidnapped
2008-08-24 14:06
Ottawa - Authorities on Saturday sought to confirm reports that a Canadian freelance journalist had been kidnapped in Somalia, along with her Australian counterpart, the foreign ministry said.
Canada's embassy in Kenya was aware of the reports by police and one other witness that the pair had been snatched on the road between Mogadishu and Afgoye, where they intended to visit refugee camps, said spokeswoman Eugenie Cormier-Lassonde.
"Consular agents are in contact with local authorities in order to confirm these reports," she said.
Canadian media identified the journalist as Amanda Lindhout, from Red Deer in Alberta.
Journalists and humanitarian workers are frequently abducted in Somalia, a country torn apart by civil war since 1991. Most kidnappings include ransom demands.