Zimbabwe born aid worker freed by Somali gunmen

Frans Barnard a Zimbabwe-born consultant working for the Save the Children charity was finally freed by masked gunmen in Somalia after he and a Somali colleague were held for six days.

On being freed Barnard who holds dual British and Zimbabwean nationality said he felt ‘bloody marvellous’ and was ‘on his way to a place of safety’.

Anna Ford, Save the Children’s spokeswoman in Nairobi, said they had spoken to him twice since his release.

‘We can confirm that he has been released by his kidnappers and he is now in the hands of clan elders in Somalia. It was those clan elders who organized his release and he is currently on his way to a place of safety.’

Barnard’s Somali colleague was also released unharmed within hours of the abductions from a guesthouse compound in Adado.