The president of the Cuban Parliament, Esteban Lazo Hernández, was appointed by the government of the republic as a high-level special envoy to clarify the situation of two doctors kidnapped in Kenya since 2019. This was reported on February 20 on the official website of the National Assembly of People’s Power (unicameral parliament) of Cuba.
Esteban Lazo will travel to Kenya to take urgent measures, together with the highest authorities of the African State, to clarify all the circumstances in light of the latest reports on the possible death of Cuban doctors.
Previously, information appeared from unconfirmed sources about the alleged death of Cuban doctors Assel Herrera and Landy Rodríguez during the bombing by the US army of the positions of the terrorist group Al-Shabaab (an organization whose activities are prohibited in the Russian Federation) in Somali origin.
In April 2019, a terrorist group captured Cuban doctors while they were carrying out an internationalist medical mission for the Cuban government.
The Cuban Ministry of Justice clarifies that the government has been making every effort to clarify the fate of the doctors since the information about their alleged death appeared, and will continue to do so until all possibilities to confirm their fate are exhausted.
Official government sources also report that since February 18, in addition to the interaction with the Government of Kenya, official contacts have been initiated with Somalia to clarify information about the military operations carried out in the area where the Cuban prisoners.
Previously, information appeared in the media with reference to the United States Africa Command (USAFRICOM, AFRICOM), reporting that on the night of February 15, bombings were carried out against militant locations that could host Cubans. The town of Jilib in Somalia was reportedly bombed by a US drone.
In turn, the press service of the Cuban Foreign Ministry reported that the government of the Caribbean republic, through diplomatic channels, went to the United States government on February 18 in search of clarifications. No response has been received at this time.
The foreign policy department noted that the circumstances and characteristics of the military operation, confirmed by an Africom official, are also unknown.
The Cuban side still has questions: “Was this (operation) justified and were measures taken to prevent collateral damage and protect civilians and the innocent?”
“This is an issue about which international organizations have expressed serious concerns in the past.”“, concludes the Cuban Foreign Ministry in its official statement.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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