While the escape of the Jaber, is welcome news, Somali pirates are still holding the 19 crew of the Siraj as well as the 26 crew of the FV Naham 3 (now held for over 4.5 years) and 2 Kenyan hostages working for a local NGO.
John Steed, OBP’s Horn of Africa Regional Manager said the following about the remaining forgotten hostages “Negotiations to see the release of the Naham 3 and its 26 crew, who were hijacked by pirates on 26 March, 2012 were underway through partners within the Hostage Support Partnership. However at this time negotiations have stalled due to unreasonable demands made by the pirates which cannot be met by a maritime charity interested in resolving the issue. The 26 crew of the Naham 3 come from poor families in Asia, are being held on shore, abandoned by their company without insurance and with no way of meeting the unrealistic demands of increasingly desperate pirate gangs. The crew have been held for nearly 4 1⁄2 years.
Two Kenyan aid workers were captured by pirates on November 24, 2014 when they were working for a project based out of the Kirbera slums in Nairobi. OBP recently funded and delivered medical supplies to help the Kenyans who were suffering from a variety of serious medical conditions. These two people and their families have no hope of paying the large ransom expected by the pirates.”
In spite of the success against Somali pirates, a long-term commitment by the international community is needed. The larger piracy investment networks still survive and have demonstrated the capacity to attack and hold hostage vessels near the Somali coast. Continuing provocations from foreign fishing fleets operating close ashore have increased sympathy for their activities amongst coastal communities and in a worst case, could bring about a return of the Somali piracy epidemic.
For more information on the plight of the forgotten hostages being held by Somali pirates see the video made by the OBP Hostage Support Partnership below: