The United Nations has announced that five staff members who were abducted in Yemen a year and a half ago have regained their freedom.
In a concise announcement, Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, has stated that all available information points to the good health of the five colleagues.
These individuals Identified as Akm Sufiul Anam, Mazen Bawazir, Bakeel al-Mahdi, Mohammed al-Mulaiki, and Khaled Mokhtar Sheikh, were associated with the U.N. Department of Security and Safety, according to Haq.
Reaffirming the heinous nature of the kidnapping, Haq relayed the Secretary-General’s call for responsible individuals to be held accountable for their actions.
The perpetrators behind the kidnapping have not been disclosed.
Back in February 2022, Yemeni officials informed the Associated Press that suspected al-Qaida militants had kidnapped five U.N. workers in the Abyan province of southern Yemen.
Regarding the incident at that time, Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesperson for Guterres, had commented, “We are aware of this case, but for obvious reasons we are not commenting.”
For years, Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has remained active in southern Yemen, being recognized as one of the most perilous branches of the global network. It has made attempts to launch attacks on U.S. soil.
Yemen, a poverty-stricken nation, frequently witnesses kidnappings due to the presence of armed tribesmen and militants who capture hostages in exchange for prisoners or ransom.
Since 2014, Yemen has been marred by conflict, as Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized control of the capital and a significant portion of the north, compelling the government into exile.
A Saudi-led coalition involving the United Arab Emirates intervened the subsequent year in an effort to reinstate Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Exploiting the ongoing conflict, Al-Qaida has further entrenched its presence in the country.
