HOSTAGE The abduction of Louisa Akavi
Govt fears for nurse after enforced silence around her plight broken
The Red Cross remains hopeful that abducted New Zealand nurse Louisa Akavi — seized by Islamic militants in October 2013 — can still be found in war ravaged Syria.
Her captivity became public yesterday when the aid group broke the cone of silence surrounding her kidnapping — a move which upset the Government because it believes it could endanger the 62-year-old’s life.
Secret work has been undertaken over the years to find and rescue Akavi. Two witnesses reported seeing the dedicated aid worker in December, but her whereabouts remains unknown.
The Red Cross has made a worldwide public appeal to find missing New Zealand nurse Louisa Akavi who was captured by the Islamic State in 2013. But a war of words has erupted between the aid agency and the Government over the decision to name the Kiwi hostage, who has been missing for five-and-a-half years.
The 62-year-old’s kidnapping is the longest in the 156-year history of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
Yesterday, the New York Times broke a cone of silence surrounding publication of Akavi’s name. Islamic State had previously warned she would be executed if details of her capture were made public.
ICRC director of operations Dominik Stillhart said they thought they were close to winning her freedom in 2017. But with the trail now cold, her name was released yesterday morning in an appeal to maximise the chances of finding her and two fellow detainees: “We won’t give up hope to get them out alive.”
He said an attempt to rescue Akavi in late 2017 was close to success.
“We believe strongly that she is actually alive . . . We continue to look for her.”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern refused to answer questions about Akavi’s plight yesterday, or the Government’s response. However, she expressed concerns over the Red Cross’ decision to name the nurse, saying the Government still believed it could endanger her life.
The Red Cross later expressed surprise at Ardern’s position, Stillhart telling media: “Every decision was coordinated with the New Zealand Government, with whom we have an excellent relationship, excellent cooperation, and that included the difficult decision now to go public.”
In response, a spokesman for the Prime Minister later said New Zealand’s objections were clearly made from the outset through the Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ office to ICRC director-general Yves Daccord, as well as via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade post in Geneva.
He said the Government’s acknowledgement of the ICRC’s intentions could have been misinterpreted as support, but Stillhart’s comments were inaccurate and “somewhat frustrating”.
“They imply we were comfortable with going public, which we never were . . .”
In 2013, Akavi’s kidnappers told her Porirua family she would be killed if news of her capture got out. After that, the Government sought out media at home and abroad to ensure details of her plight were kept secret.
Security forces have been unable to locate Akavi since the Islamic State territory was wiped out with the fall of Baghouz in eastern Syria last month. However, at least two people described seeing the nurse in December at a clinic in Sousa, one of the final villages held by Islamic State.
In a statement, Akavi’s family yesterday said they loved her and wanted her to come home.
“Our sister and aunt Louisa was taken in Syria in October 2013. Our family misses her very much and is concerned for her safety,” they said.
“We think about her every day and hope she feels that and finds strength in that. We know she is thinking of us and that she will be worried about us too.”
An elite New Zealand force of spies and defence force personnel was sent to the Middle East to work alongside United States counterparts in an attempt to find and rescue Akavi.
She was among seven people captured in 2013 while returning to Damascus from Idlib, where the Red Cross provided supplied to a medical facility. Four hostages were released the next day but Akavi and two Syrian workers were held.
The New York Times said negotiations occurred between the Red Cross and the terrorist group over following months via text, phone calls and emails.
Islamic State initially demanded a ransom of €1 million ($1.67m) for the release of detained fighters. That later rose to €20m before falling again to €5m — on par with other Western hostages.
However, the Government has a policy of not paying ransom demands, as does the Red Cross.
The Herald has been told Akavi was known to be held with American aid worker Kayla Mueller until at least September 2014. Islamic State reported Mueller killed by an air strike in 2015.
While most hostages were released in mid-2014, Akavi and others from countries with no-ransom policies remained in captivity.