Thursday March 27, 2025
Sonja Nientiet, a German nurse abducted in Mogadishu seven years ago while working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), appears in a new video pleading for her release. In the footage, Nientiet urgently calls on the German government to act swiftly, revealing the toll her prolonged captivity has taken on her health.
Mogadishu (HOL) — Sonja Nientiet, a German nurse abducted seven years ago in Mogadishu while working for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), has appeared in a new video pleading for her immediate release. The video, posted on a YouTube channel operated by an individual named Liibaan Osman, has raised alarm over her deteriorating condition and intensified calls for swift action.
In the video, Nientiet directly appeals to the German government, urging it to intensify efforts to secure her freedom. “My health is deteriorating,” she warns. “Every day that passes makes the situation more urgent,” Nientiet stresses that if she remains in captivity, her life is at risk.
The video confirms that Nientiet is still alive, though in a fragile state, following recent reports that had cast doubt on her wellbeing. She expresses growing concern for her health, noting the severe physical and mental toll of prolonged captivity.
Nientiet was abducted on May 2, 2018, after armed men raided the ICRC office in Mogadishu. The kidnapping, which occurred at 8:00 p.m. local time, was believed to be an inside job involving a disgruntled ICRC security guard. The gunmen managed to evade the security guards, sneaking Nientiet out through a back door and into a waiting vehicle. A Somali police officer later reported that the abductors’ vehicle was recovered, but Nientiet was transferred to another car before authorities could intervene.
Her captors have demanded a ransom running into millions of dollars.
The German government, through its intelligence agency BND, has been secretly monitoring the situation for two years, attempting to gather information on Nientiet’s whereabouts and the identity of her captors. Despite these efforts, her release remains uncertain.
The emotional plea in Nientiet’s video has reignited calls for the German government to take swift and decisive action. The German Foreign Ministry stated that it does not comment on hostage situations involving its citizens abroad.
Nientiet, who had been with the ICRC since 2014, was in Somalia to provide humanitarian aid and first aid training to local communities. Before her abduction, she had worked in conflict zones like Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The ICRC, which has operated in Somalia for decades, expressed deep concern for Nientiet’s safety, with officials stressing the urgency of securing her release.
