Mogadishu (RBC) According to France foreign ministry, a Frenchman detained in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland region is not a spy as claimed by local authorities.
The Frenchman and a Briton have been held since last Thursday, foreign ministry spokesman Romain Nadal said.
“We are working with the British to provide them with consular protection and to obtain their release as quickly as possible,” he said.
“He is not a spy,” Nadal said, referring to the French national, who he said was a corporate employee.
The response came days after Puntland Security Minister Khalif Ise Mudan said that they have arrested two foreigners- a French and British nationals who were caught while spying and illegally gathering classified information on public and private institutions in Puntland.
The minister added that the pair entered the region while disguised as NGO workers.
The pair have been in custody since then and will face court of law, according to the minister.
RBC Radio
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