Africa
Somalia officials released from Ethiopia prison
By
Mar 17, 2010 - 7:58:49 AM

Two Somali lawmakers and a security officer who were imprisoned in Ethiopian-controlled Somali region have been released, colleagues in Mogadishu said on Tuesday.

The lawmakers Hussein Gagale and his colleague Abdullah Mohammed Aden Farey, were arrested on Jan 30 together with Ahmed Ugas, a senior Somali police officer while on official visit to the region.

Somali Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke, who is currently in Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa, played a crucial role in the release of the officials, according to lawamker Abdirahman Kulmiye.

"I have spoken with the two lawmakers and they told me that they are doing well and they would be back in Mogadishu very soon," Kulmiye said.

Ethiopian government recently said that the officials violated border entry and could be brought before a court in Jigjiga, the administrative capital of Somali Ogadenia region.

However, Somali officials maintained that they were on official tour to Somali border region of Hiran but forced to cross the border to Ethiopian region after coming under attack from militants fighting the fragile government.

GAROWE ONLINE