Monday, November 11, 2024

Somalia pirates’ hostages freed after five years

Must read

Nigerian High Commission apartments in Ghana demolished

Some new apartments built at the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana’s capital city Accra, have been demolished by bulldozers. The apartments have been constructed to...

Covid-19: Ghana records significant recovery numbers

Ghanaian health officials on Saturday said over 10,000 persons infected with the coronavirus have now recovered. The significant number of recoveries means the country now...

DR Congo: President’s ex-chief of staff jailed 20 years for corruption

The ex-chief of staff of the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been jailed 20 years by a high court. Vital Kamerhe was...

Covid-19: Zimbabwe’s health minister arrested, charged for graft

Zimbabwe's Health Minister Obadiah Moyo has been arrested over corruption allegations related to procurement of medical equipment worth $60 million. Moyo is accused of illegally...
Isaac Kaledzihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Kaledzi
Isaac Kaledzi is an experienced and award winning journalist from Ghana. He has worked for several media brands both in Ghana and on the International scene. Isaac Kaledzi is currently serving as an African Correspondent for DW.

Twenty-six men held hostage by Somali pirates for nearly five years have been released, international mediators say.

Their ship, the FV Naham 3, was seized south of the Seychelles in March 2012.

The vessel and its crew were kept off the Somali coast, until it sank. The hostages – from a number of East Asian countries – were then brought ashore and held in the bushland.

They are believed to be some of the last remaining captives seized by Somali pirates in the mid-2000s.

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has reduced significantly in recent years.

The men are from Cambodia, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam.

John Steed, who works with the Hostage Support Partnership, said information about the hostages’ condition was limited to photos sent to prove the men were still alive.

“We won’t know until I actually pick them up inside Somalia tomorrow,” he told the BBC.

“The guys are pretty ragged, very thin, malnourished. Several of them had to see a doctor today because they were unwell.”

He said he could not comment on whether any payment was made to secure the captives. However, he said the local community and tribal elders were involved in the “difficult situation”.

“These are poor fishermen. The ship had no value, they had no insurance, and of course governments don’t want to be involved in these sort of negotiations either,” he said.

 

Source: BBC

- Advertisement -

More articles

- Advertisement -

Latest article

Nigerian High Commission apartments in Ghana demolished

Some new apartments built at the residence of the Nigerian High Commissioner in Ghana’s capital city Accra, have been demolished by bulldozers. The apartments have been constructed to...

Covid-19: Ghana records significant recovery numbers

Ghanaian health officials on Saturday said over 10,000 persons infected with the coronavirus have now recovered. The significant number of recoveries means the country now...

DR Congo: President’s ex-chief of staff jailed 20 years for corruption

The ex-chief of staff of the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo has been jailed 20 years by a high court. Vital Kamerhe was...

Covid-19: Zimbabwe’s health minister arrested, charged for graft

Zimbabwe's Health Minister Obadiah Moyo has been arrested over corruption allegations related to procurement of medical equipment worth $60 million. Moyo is accused of illegally...

Ghana’s new law that jails citizens not wearing facemask 10 years

Ghanaians who fail to wear the face masks in compliance with a presidential directive risk going to jail for ten years. They also face a...