Kidnapped Irish Red Cross worker Dónal Ó Súilleabháin (41) and his Ethiopian colleague could be freed this weekend.
The Irish Red Cross confirmed to ireland.comthat the International Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC) is in talks with the kidnappers over the men's release.
It is understood that the group behind the kidnapping mistook the pair for oil workers. Mr Ó Súilleabháin spoke to the ICRC by phone yesterday.
Both Mr Ó Súilleabháin, who is from Sligo, and his colleague were kidnapped at gunpoint just north of Gode, in the south-eastern Ogaden region of Ethiopia on Monday morning.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said this evening it was aware of the development. Mr Ó Súilleabháin is a water and sanitation engineer.
