Australian journalist Nigel Brennan was on his way to a camp in Somalia in August last year to highlight the plight of the country\'s refugees, when he and his colleague, Amanda Lindhout, were kidnapped by gunmen. They were freed in the capital Mogadishu late last month, after spending more than a year in captivity, months of negotiations and a reported $1 million US dollar ransom payment. [Nigel Brennan, Former Hostage]: \"It feels so good to be at home, it is hard to believe I am standing here safe on Australian soil. I must confess that there were times that I wondered if this moment would ever come.\" Brennan, a freelance photographer from Brisbane, apologized to his parents for the ordeal. [Nigel Brennan, Former Hostage]: \"Firstly I need to say sorry to my family, especially Mum and Dad, for the stress and hurt I\'ve caused them over the last 15 months, I am sure at times their pain and suffering was much worse than my own. At least I knew I was alive.\" He also thanked his Canadian colleague, who was held hostage by the same group of captors. [Nigel Brennan, Former Hostage]: \"Finally to my good friend and colleague Amanda Lindhout. Thank you for the support, friendship and love that you gave me through this ordeal. Even though for most part we were completely isolated from each other, just knowing you were through the wall or down the corridor was an unbelievable comfort.\" Somalia has lacked an effective central government for 18 years and is a dangerous place for foreign aid workers and journalists, who risk being kidnapped and held for ransom by one of the country\'s many armed groups. [More] [Less] |
