The status of two Cuban doctors kidnapped and held captive for the past five years by Somalia-based terrorist group Al Shabaab remains uncertain after conflicting reports indicated that they may have been killed.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez dismissed claims that the two; Dr Assel Herrera Correa and Dr Landy Rodríguez Hernández, were killed in a US airstrike last Thursday, saying he is yet to receive any official comment from either Kenya or Somalia on what might have happened.
Dr Correa worked as a general practitioner while Dr Hernandez was a surgeon in Kenya.
"I express all my solidarity and affection to the families of our doctors Assel and Landy in these moments of uncertainty and increased pain, in the face of the tragic news that has not yet been confirmed. We are working hard to clarify this with international authorities," he said in a statement shared on his official digital platforms.
The Cuban President also asked the families of the two doctors to be strong. He recalled the series of meetings they held after the kidnapping took place in Mandera County, before the doctors were taken to Somalia.
"Cuba is not losing hope of finding them alive. We will do so as long as there is no official confirmation of their death," he said.
Yesterday, Cuba’s Minister of Public Health Jose Angel Portal Miranda said they are aware of reports that the two doctors may have been killed, but investigations are still underway to establish the truth before any information is released to the public.
"As soon as we have confirmation of this, our people will be informed," Mr Miranda was quoted as saying by local Cuban media.
He went on to say that the families of the two doctors have received support and from Cuba’s highest leadership since the abduction took place.
Mr Miranda also said that the Cuban government has been in constant communication with Kenya and Somalia with the aim of rescuing the abducted doctors.
Kenya, for its part, has remained silent on the reports of the deaths, which emanated from a statement that was officially released by Al Shabaab through Al Kataib, its official media.
Foreign Affairs Principal Secretary Abraham Korir did not respond to our queries.
The militant group's statement said the doctors were killed last week in the early hours of Thursday morning. The attacks targeted Jilib, a town in Somalia's Middle Juba region.
Describing the attack as reckless, Al Shabaab said it began at midnight and targeted a house in Jilib where the two doctors were staying, leading to their deaths.
The terrorist group accused the US of "deliberately targeting the detainees for several years and carrying out attacks" in at least two locations before Thursday's airstrike.
Al Shabaab also shared disturbing images from what it described as the scene of the attack.
The Nation went through recent statements issued on airstrikes that have been conducted in Somalia targeting Al Shabaab militants and none has information on Thursday's incident, raising questions about the claims made by the terrorist group.
Whenever such an operation is carried out by the US, Al Shabaab usually releases statements informing the public about the number of people killed.
On May 16, 2019, Al Shabaab said that the two Cuban doctors were fine and that they were willing to release them as long as they were paid $1.5 million. They also said that the two were only helping them provide medical care whenever an Al Shabaab fighter was injured.
The doctors were abducted on April 12, 2019 while on their way to work in an incident that led the Kenyan government to recall all foreign doctors deployed in Wajir, Lamu, Garissa and Tana River. They were transferred to other counties.
A driver working for Mandera County, who was supposed to take the Cuban doctors to the hospital, was found guilty of aiding and abetting an act of terrorism in February 2022.
Mr Issack Ibrein Robow was charged with terrorism. He denied the charges.
