Hope for kidnapped nurse: video from Somalia appeared!

Hope for kidnapped nurse: video from Somalia appeared!

On March 29, 2025, a new sign of life by Sonja N., a German nurse, has appeared, which has been recorded by the terrorist militia al-Shabaab since its kidnapping on May 2, 2018 in Mogadish, Somalia. Sonja N., who worked for the International Red Cross (IKRK), was kidnapped during an attack on the Red Cross building. Armed men stormed the terrain, avoided the security forces and kidnapped them with a back output with a vehicle. According to reports, a security employee helped the kidnappers, which makes the circumstances of their kidnapping even more dramatic.

In a recently published video, Sonja N. appeals to the German federal government, especially to Chancellor Scholz, to free her from her situation. According to Wa.de the ICRK has verified the video as real and demands its immediate and unconditional release. In the approximately five and a half -minute clip, Sonja N. wears traditional, most of her body parts and asks for support for her return to Germany. Previously, the IKRK had not received any information about its whereabouts since the kidnapping, which makes the lack of return all the more disturbing.

The background of the kidnapping

Sonja N. had worked for the ICRK in crisis areas such as Syria and the Congo before her use in Somalia. The then defense minister Heiko Maas had broken off a planned liberation campaign by the Bundeswehr at the last minute for fear of a bloodbath. Al-Shabaab, the extremist group, which Sonja N. captures, demanded the unimaginable sum of $ 20 million for her release and threatened to murder and resale to IS. The Berlin Kurier reports that despite a large-scale search, the nurse could not be found.

Due to the complexity of the conflict in Somalia, the situation remains tense. The Somali government and international partner have been fighting against al-Shabaab for 17 years. Despite intensive efforts since 2022, the Somali federal government has so far not been able to achieve military successes against the group.

The military and humanitarian situation in Somalia

The military conflicts in Somalia unites the regions that are controlled by the Somali government, whereby the main fights concentrate on the eastern areas. President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has strengthened the fight against Al-Shabaab, but the government has not managed to make decisive territorial profits. Al-Shabaab still calls for the suspension of foreign troops and the implementation of Sharia law and shows no serious willingness to negotiate.

The humanitarian situation in Somalia is alarming because almost 8 million people urgently need help. Experts argue that a dialogue process, possibly with the support of clan elder or countries such as Qatar and Turkey, could be prepared for a peaceful solution to the conflict. At the same time, the challenges that are bound to negotiations are considerable. The international community must react to humanitarian needs and find a way to defuse the catastrophic situation in which Sonja N. is also caught.

The Federal Foreign Office in Berlin remains extremely reserved in the event of kidnapping of German citizens abroad and does not comment on such incidents. Because of the secretion of the kidnapping and ongoing negotiations, the public will continue to look for answers and hope that Sonja N. will soon be safe.