Foreign Aid Workers Seized in Somalia

• Article

By SOLOMON MOORE

NAIROBI—Gunmen in northern Somalia kidnapped two aid workers and a Somali colleague, heightening tensions in the wake of Kenya's efforts to quash militant group al Shabaab.
The foreign aid workers—one American, the other Danish—were staff members of the Danish Demining Group, an international aid organization. American and Danish officials said they have contacted the victims' families and hoped to secure their release.
Nongovernmental organizations and aid agencies have scaled back their activities in East Africa to protect their staffs from possible attacks. Embassies have encouraged foreign nationals in Kenya to avoid public places and large crowds that could be targeted by extremist groups.
The kidnappings, coming a day after two separate grenade attacks in the Kenyan capital, underscored the danger al Shabaab poses to the region.
Fresh political hazards are emerging as well. More than a week after the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia and Kenyan officials issued a joint statement of cooperation on the incursion, Somalian President Sheikh Sharif Sheif Ahmed criticized the presence of Kenyan troops in his country, calling it "inappropriate."
"The Somalia government and the people do not condone the incursion of foreign troops into the country," he said.
Osman Mohamed Adnan, a high-ranking member of Somalia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the president's comments reflected the need for further discussions between Somalia and Kenya about the assault.
"It means, we're not that happy about the Kenyans being here," he said.
The Kenyan military crossed into southern and western Somalia earlier this month after a series of high-profile kidnappings of westerners in northern Kenya.
The abductions hit Kenya's tourism-dependent economy hard and spurred the government to send hundreds of troops to battle al Shabaab.
Mr. Sharif's criticism reflects his concerns about two pro-government militias operating alongside Kenyan troops in southern Somalia—one trained and financed by the Ethiopian government and the other by the Kenyans, said a Western official who has had frequent discussions with Somalia's leadership.
Although the militias, which are operating in the southern region of Jubaland, have pledged allegiance to the Somali government, Mr. Sharif, whose center of power is in the capital of Mogadishu and in Badoia in central Somalia, remains wary of them.
"As a group they are a threat to Sharif," the Western official said. "Sharif controls a few streets in Mogadishu, while they control huge swaths of the west and south."
The two paramilitary groups have about 2,000 troops while forces allied with the government in Mogadishu number about 4,000.
The paramilitary forces launched a failed offensive against al Shabaab in the spring as part of Kenya's plan, called the Jubaland Initiative, to create a protective buffer between al Shabaab militants and Somali refugees, and the Kenyan border, the Western official said.
"Kenya didn't achieve what they wanted to," said the official. "Along comes these kidnappings and Kenya's economy tanks, and so they're trying again, this time with the Kenyan army."
Mr. Sharif's comments deepened the ambivalence of Kenya's Western allies, who share Kenya's objective to stamp out al Shabaab. But some question whether Kenya's military is up to the task. Western officials worried that Kenya lacked the war plans or the money to sustain a long engagement in Somalia.
Another Western official said the Kenyan government has exaggerated the amount of support it has received from its partners after they invaded Somalia.
"Certainly they have been overplaying the level support they've received," the official said.
American officials said they are continuing to target al Shabaab militants, but denied they were giving direct support to the Kenyan operation. After news reports quoted Kenyan government officials saying the U.S. military was helping Kenya's assault, the U.S. Embassy issued an official denial.
"The United States is not participating in Kenya's military activities in southern Somalia," said John Haynes, a spokesman for the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. "Media reports that the United States has participating in these operations in Somalia are untrue."
The French government has also played down its role in the incursion, saying it only provided air transport for Kenyan troops in the field, and only after the Kenyan government approached it.
"Since the Kenyan authorities have asked for logistical support for their forces, we have looked into their request and we have given it," said Alexis Berthier, a spokesman for the French foreign ministry.
—Abdurrahman Warsameh in Mogadishu, Somalia, contributed to this article