Somalia kidnap: “Things are moving positively”

Leonard Vincent, head of the Africa desk for Reporters Without Borders, talks to Canwest News Service about the plight of journalists Amanda Lindhout and Nigel Brennan who were kidnapped in Somalia earlier this week,

“Things are moving positively,” said Vincent. “It is a crucial moment and it would be very dangerous to disclose more than that.” Vincent said more information would likely emerge “in the coming days” and that his organization was in touch with diplomats involved with efforts to free the journalists. “If everything continues like it is now, we can expect a positive outcome,” he said. link

I continue to update the original blog post about this case. However, reports like the Canwest News one above do little to change thoughts like these when the only reference to the Somali kidnap victims in is as “their Somalian fixer and driver”. For the record, again, the Somali kidnap victims have names too. They are:
– photojournalist/guard/transaltor Abdifatah Mohammed Elmi
– the driver from the Shamo Hotel is known as Marwali
– the group’s other driver is called Mahad Clise
As Frontline blogger Rob points out in the comments,

This difference in risk faced by the westerners and the Somalis is a reminder that as journalists we have a responsibility to consider the potential dangers to everyone in our party. In Mogadishu I always do as I’m told by my fixer but am continually astounded by the number of people who seem to think they know best. In Mogadishu that sort of attitude costs lives, and not always your own. link