A female German nurse has been kidnapped from a compound belonging to the International Committee of the Red Cross in Somalia's capital Mogadishu, the aid group said on Thursday.

The abduction is the latest in a series of targeted attacks on aid workers in the chaotic Horn of Africa nation.

Read more: Escape from al-Shabaab: 'I was turned into a sex slave'

What we know so far

Unidentified armed men entered the Red Cross compound at about 8 p.m. (17.00 UTC) on Wednesday.

Reports suggest she was taken through a back entrance and into a waiting vehicle.

They kidnapped an unidentified German woman despite several security guards working at the site.

Police said they detained those guards for questioning.

The organization said it is "in contact with various authorities to try and secure her release."

No one immediately claimed responsibility, but the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab extremist group has carried out similar operations.

Read more: Germany to end participation in EU military mission in Somalia

Watch video 01:44 Share 27 dead after Mogadishu attack Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/2miVv At least 27 dead after coordinated attacks in Mogadishu



Fears for nurse's safety

Daniel O'Malley, the deputy head of the Red Cross delegation in Somalia, said: "We are deeply concerned about the safety of our colleague. She is a nurse who was working every day to save lives and improve the health of some of Somalia's most vulnerable people."

Read more: Rights group: Al Shabab forcibly recruits children

Dangerous country for aid workers

Somalia, which collapsed into civil war in 1991, remains in a state of chaos following a decade-long insurgency by Al-Shabaab militants. The country has seen an influx of aid agencies to deal with a severe drought that has left hundreds of thousands of people close to starvation. At least 30 aid agency staff were killed in Somalia in 2016 and 2017, according to the United Nations, while 30 humanitarian staff were abducted during a particularly violent period last year.

Read more: Safe haven turned into nightmare for Somali woman

Watch video 01:43 Somalia: Famine fears in a failed state

Who is Al-Shabaab? The extremist group, known as the Youngsters in English, formed more than a decade ago to fight to impose a strict interpretation of Islamic law across Somalia.

How powerful are they? Although it has lost large swathes of territory it once controlled in the south of Somalia, the al-Qaeda-linked militant group still has the ability to carry out spectacular and deadly bomb attacks. The deadliest ever, a truck bombing last October in Mogadishu, killed more than 500 people.

Foreigners, aid workers targeted: On Tuesday a local World Health Organization (WHO) worker was shot dead by two men at a busy market in Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab, meanwhile, claimed responsibility for bombing the Red Cross office in the capital in March, which left an aid worker dead and another staffer wounded. In the past, foreigners, including journalists and aid workers, have been kidnapped by armed gangs and held for ransom, sometimes for years at a time.

Mogadishu — city of extremes In the face of terror The truck was loaded with explosives and detonated at a busy junction in the heart of Mogadishu in the afternoon of September 14, 2017. The explosion of the bomb killed at least 276 people and injured hundreds more. It was the worst terror attack in the history of Somalia. Nearly three decades of civil war and terror have also robbed the population of its resilience to drought.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Fighting starvation - a Somali reality Xamdi is a child of Somali nomads and has been in the nutrition ward of Mogadishu's Banadir Hospital since the beginning of August. Her mother feeds her with the peanut-based 'Plumpy’Nut' paste to avoid severe acute malnutrition. Xamdi is three years old and only weighs seven kilograms. Most kids in Germany in the same age group weigh twice as much. About 800,000 Somalis are facing starvation.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Collapsed health system - even in the capital This boy recovers in the bed next to Xamdi. He is fighting pneumonia, one of the all too common infections caused by chronic malnutrition and overcrowded conditions in Mogadishu's refugee camps. His hands are wrapped in paper to prevent him from pulling out his feeding tube. Banadir Hospital is the biggest public clinic in the capital, but even here the collapse of the health system is visible.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Mogadishu - city of refugees Mogadishu is full of makeshift homes. Many nomads and countryside dwellers are determined to stay. They have fled civil war, terror, violence and hunger. The city's population has swollen to nearly 2.5 million. At least 600,000 are officially regarded as 'internally displaced people'.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Camp life takes a heavy toll The congested and unhygienic living conditions in the camps are a health hazard. Acute respiratory tract infections and diarrhea are common diseases among Mogadishu's internally displaced population. Life in the makeshift camps is a daily struggle for the next meal and the next bucket of water.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Life in waiting There is not much to do inside the camps but to sit and wait. Many children don't have access to education. Most makeshift camps lack playgrounds or other recreational spaces.

Mogadishu — city of extremes City of ruins There is much hardship outside the camps, too. The old part of Mogadishu is particularly pockmarked by nearly three decades of internal conflict. But there are also signs of new beginnings.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Selfie time Early September 2017: These youngsters are having a good time in Mogadishu's Peace Park. All of them are students, all of them express faith in the new government of western-backed President Mohamed. One of them wants to become a civil aviation engineer. He says: "It is much safer here than five years ago." Five years ago al-Shabab ruled the capital. Today the extremists send suicide bombers.

Mogadishu — city of extremes No hand grenades Right at the entrance to Peace Park, visitors are reminded to leave behind Kalashnikovs, knives, hand grenades and pistols.

Mogadishu — city of extremes The happening place Liido beach draws huge crowds especially after Friday prayers. People meet to dance and play soccer. Soccer is hugely popular in Somalia. Young lovers meet to court each other. Mogadishu's Liido beach was deserted under al-Shabab's brief rule of the capital.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Reconstruction in full swing The international community has started to invest in rebuilding Somalia's shattered state. Reconstruction is most visible in the capital. This new street was built with Turkish help. Turkey has also set up a huge military base in Mogadishu to train Somali soldiers.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Walls and fences New villas spring up throughout town. Somalia's returning diaspora invests in Mogadishu's booming property market. So do politicians and other strongmen. Many of the new buildings are surrounded by high blast walls and concertina wire to fend off terrorists, criminals and rivals.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Green Zone The airport region has become the expats' hub. Like Baghdad and Kabul, Mogadishu has a green zone. The United Nations and most of the returning diplomatic missions live and work in the vast compound which has developed around Mogadishu's International Airport. It is fenced off and guarded by African Union troops.

Mogadishu — city of extremes City of murals Most of Mogadishu's shopfronts sport hand-painted murals which add some much-needed color to a city slowly rising from its ruins.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Online shopping Modern billboards are also conquering the streets, advertising online shopping for Arab fashion or application details for private educational institutions.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Not for all The city's new attractions are out of reach for the many displaced people and the poor. Somalia's progress and stability will depend on the state's ability to win the trust of its people. Right now nearly seven million people, which is about half the country's population, depend on humanitarian aid.

Mogadishu — city of extremes Youth bulge More than half of Somalia's population is under 18. The majority of citizens were born after the overthrow of Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991 — the pivotal event that caused the country to become a failed state. The capital's youth, if not engaged meaningfully, often feel disenfranchised, adding to Somalia's continued vulnerability. Author: Sandra Petersmann



US airstrikes target 'Islamic State' fighters in Somalia

mm/aw (AFP, AP, dpa)