MOGADISHU — A Kenyan doctor working with a United Nations medical evacuation team in Somalia says the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab has held him and other colleagues for more than a year after their helicopter crashed in militant-held territory, according to a new video appeal.
In the message addressed to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Kenyan President William Ruto and the Kenyan public, the doctor, Ambrose Kimiti, says their aircraft went down on Jan. 10, 2024, during a medical evacuation flight. He says fighters from al-Shabab captured the crew and passengers at the crash site.
- Advertisement -
“We believed we were serving a humanitarian cause, but the United Nations has failed to work toward securing our freedom,” Kimiti says in the video, urging Guterres to intervene and arguing the U.N. has a responsibility to protect staff and contractors abducted while on official duty.
Kimiti also calls on Ruto to use diplomatic channels to help secure their release and urges Kenyans to speak out on their behalf. The video could not be independently verified by Axadle Times.
Neither the United Nations nor the Kenyan government has issued an official response to the appeal.
Kimiti’s plea follows a similar video released days earlier by the Ukrainian pilot of the same helicopter, who urged the U.N. and the Ukrainian government to open talks with al-Shabab to end their captivity.
The details of how many people were on board and the condition of the other team members remain unclear. Kimiti says attempts to contact U.N. offices to initiate assistance or formal negotiations have so far failed.
Al-Shabab has waged a long-running insurgency in Somalia and has previously abducted foreign nationals working with international organizations. The group maintains control over large stretches of rural territory, where it has carried out attacks and kidnappings despite offensives by Somali forces and international partners.
The reported Jan. 2024 crash occurred in an area under al-Shabab control, underscoring the risks for humanitarian and medical teams operating in Somalia’s conflict zones. The U.N. routinely contracts medical evacuation flights to support staff and aid operations across the country, where poor road access and security threats make air transport critical for emergency response.
Kimiti’s video renews pressure on the U.N., Nairobi and international partners to clarify what steps, if any, are being taken to engage the militants. Families of captives in similar cases have often urged quiet diplomacy, while governments and agencies weigh the security, legal and ethical risks of negotiations with armed groups.
Kidnappings by al-Shabab have complicated aid work in Somalia for years, with risk assessments determining where and how relief agencies can move. The doctor’s appeal highlights a persistent dilemma: ensuring lifesaving access to vulnerable communities while protecting the people who deliver that assistance.
As of Saturday, there was no confirmation of new talks or mediation efforts related to Kimiti and the other captives from the crash. The Kenyan doctor asked the public to keep the case in the spotlight, saying visibility could help spur action.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
