Amanda Lindhout speaks about her abductor’s arrest

In 2008, Alberta journalist Amanda Lindhout and her entourage were kidnapped in Somalia. Fifteen months later she was released. It was a horrific experience and you can read about it in her moving memoir House in the Sky which was released in 2013.

On June 11, 2015 one of the men responsible for her abduction, Ali Omar Ader, was arrested. It was a relief for Lindhout who posted a statement on her Facebook page.

In the post, she praised the RCMP and their dedication over the years to find the man who had tormented her and her family and shares her feelings now that he has been found.

…There is one agent in particular who has been my point of contact throughout the process, who has invested himself in every step along the way and visited me many times. I can’t reveal his name, but his kindness and commitment to the cause has meant more to me than I can adequately express…

I told them that night how proud I felt to be Canadian. I was, and will always be, humbled by the fact the RCMP has worked so hard on my case all these years, never wavering in its pursuit of my kidnappers. This operation was large and complex and involved many people across several continents. I’m grateful to Canada Border Services Agency, the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development and the Australian Federal Police for their assistance…

…I’m grateful that this man has been arrested. I am happy that he will be called upon in court to answer for his role in the kidnapping. My healing and recovery, however, has never been contingent on this form of justice. I’ve spent the last couple of days feeling extremely emotional about the arrest, contending with the brutal memories it calls up. But losing my freedom in Somalia taught me a lot about how to get it back. Every day, I make the choice to move forward and to remember that true power is derived from kindness. In the end, Ali Omar Ader’s fate has nothing to do with mine.

To read Amanda’s full statement, click here.