Irish aid worker kidnapped in Somalia
A male aid worker from the North is one of two people missing and feared kidnapped in Somalia.
He is believed to have gone missing yesterday, along with a Kenyan colleague in the Puntland region of the country.
The pair are employed by the Care International aid agency.
A spokeswoman for Care International said today it was working to secure their safe return.
"They have been missing since yesterday morning," she said. "We are working with the local authorities to ensure their prompt release."
"We are confident that a solution will be found soon.
She told RTÉ radio that the region was a relatively stable area of the country and said such incidents were relatively rare.
"I wouldn't say this is very common (in this area), but it can occasionally happen.
"Sometimes it has to do with different clan issues.
"So right now we really don't know much and we are trying to investigate, working with the people who are in charge on the ground."
Minister for Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern said his officials had offered whatever assistance they could to locate and release the aid worker.
"Our ambassador in Ethiopia is in close contact with Care International on the ground," he said.
"We will do all in our power to help free the two individuals, one of whom is believed to be from Northern Ireland.
"Our thoughts are with the family of the missing workers."
