This archive report was first published on 17 December 2019.
Published on December 17, 2019, Cuban officials have confirmed that two doctors kidnapped in Mandera, Kenya, in April are safe.
Assel Herrera, a general practitioner, and Landy Rodriguez, a surgeon, were abducted on April 12 by suspected Al-Shabaab jihadists near the border with Somalia.
The kidnappers had demanded $1.5 billion for their release, according to a top government official in May.
The two doctors were part of a 100-member Cuban medical brigade working in Kenya under an agreement between the two countries.
Cuban Vice President Ines Maria Chapman said that both countries were working together to secure the doctors' safe return to Cuba.
Chapman added that the Cuban government was making huge efforts to resolve the issue, but did not elaborate on the location of the doctors or the steps being taken for their release.
