Canadian police make arrest nearly 7 years after journalists kidnapped in Somalia

Royal Canadian Mounted Police assistant commissioner James Malizia, left, and Inspector Paul Mellon speak at a press conference at RCMP headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, about the arrest of a Somali man Ali Omar Ader, for his involvement in the kidnapping of Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout and Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan, Friday, June 12, 2015. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

In this photo taken on Feb. 21, 2010, Amanda Lindhout attends a reception held in her honor by the Alberta Somali-Canadian community in Calgary, Alberta. Canadian police have arrested a Somali man for his role in the kidnapping of Lindhout and another foreign journalist who were held in Somalia for more than 15 months before being freed nearly seven years ago. Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

An image of Ali Omar Ader is projected on a screen at Royal Canadian Mounted Police headquarters during a press conference in Ottawa, Ontario, about his arrest for the kidnapping of two foreign journalists who were held in Somalia for more than 15 months before being freed nearly seven years ago, Friday, June 12, 2015. (Patrick Doyle/The Canadian Press via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT (The Associated Press)

Canadian police have arrested a Somali man for his role in the kidnapping of two foreign journalists who were held in Somalia for more than 15 months before being freed.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner James Malizia announced the arrest Friday of Ali Omar Ader nearly seven years after Canadian freelancer Amanda Lindhout and Australian photojournalist Nigel Brennan were kidnapped by gunmen on Aug. 23, 2008. They were released in November 2009.

Malizia says the man, arrested Thursday in Ottawa, was a negotiator within the group that carried out the kidnapping.