Hargeysa, Somaliland, June 7, 2008 (SL Times) – Five gunmen who kidnapped a German aid worker in Somaliland’s Sanag region earlier this year were given 11 year sentence each on Thursday by the Hargeysa regional court.

Abdirisak Abdillahi Ali, Abdirahman Mohamed Nur, Mohamed Yusuf Hersi, Abdirahman Warsame Hayd and Salad Farah were convicted of kidnapping Daniel Bronkal on February 12 while he traveled by car on a road between Erigavo and Maydh in the Sanag region.

Mr. Bronkal who worked for the German Agro Action was held as hostage for less than 48 hours before being freed by Somaliland security forces in the region.

Five men who were apprehended in the rescue operation as Bronkal’s abductors have been standing trial in the last 2 months.

Hargeysa regional court judge Ismail Abdillahi jailed the 5 men for 11 years, saying that they had all admitted kidnapping the German aid worker.

However the lawyer defending the five men accused of the abduction said that his clients will appeal Thursday’s sentence.

Source: Somaliland Times