Government Negotiates To Free Nine Citizens in Somalia
Tuesday, 18 April, 2006 | 15:43 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government stated that it will try to hasten the negotiations to free the Indonesian citizens who were taken hostage in Somalia.

“We will try so that the process can be finished in less than eight months,” said the Foreign Affairs Department spokesperson, Desra Percaya, Monday (17/4).

Desra explained, the Somalian government is currently negotiating to free the nine Indonesian citizens. During the negotiations the Somalian government assigned a ministerial-level official. “So we hope the negotiation process can go well and be completed faster than the previous arrest of 14 Indonesian citizens in Somalia,” said Desra.

Desra said, the nine Indonesian citizens taken hostage by an armed group in Somalia are from Slawi, Tegal, and Pemalang. “They are all safe,” he said.

Rudy Prasetyo