German Hostages still kept by Pirates in Somalia

Somalia - It is very difficult to provide coverage of piracy in Somalia, and this has been very much the case with the "German Tourists" who were abducted last month from the Gulf of Aden. As we've said previously, news is sparse and unreliable, and often one false report is quoted for weeks. This is not the main issue, however. The real problem in reporting stories such as these is in deciding whether our reports are helping the victims or the criminals.

YachtPals is privileged to have contacts around the world, and the ability to double- and triple-check many facts. However, no two sources in this matter agree. From day one we were suspicious of certain dramatic aspects to the story. The child, the "French Captain," the fever, diabetes, etc. were facets of the story we could not confirm, though we have no less than two contacts inside Somalia itself, both being professional journalists. In a telephone interview yesterday we were asked if we would like to speak with the pirates themselves, and we declined.

The dilemma we face is that we do not want to promote hostage-taking from private yachts as a profitable enterprise in Somalia. On the other hand, we want to do what we can to get the hostages out of harm's way as quickly as possible. If the world forgets them, they may die, or be subject to mishandling and brutality for longer than is necessary. However, by bringing the issue into the public eye, and forcing the governments involved to pay the ransom under public pressure, the pirates will only be that much more likely to attack the next yacht.

Last week we were asked by a top officer in Berlin to hold off on our report, and it was implied that the situation would soon be rectified. This was not the case, and we fear that this was simply a political ploy within the German government to prolong negotiations - there seems to be some soap-boxing within Germany in regard to the constitutional role of the military, and the captives are pawns. At the same time, much of the information from Somalia is so overly dramatic that we can't help but think it is simply being sent out in order to raise the ransom and speed the payment.

This is what we can now confirm to some degree: There are two sailors, their names are Mr. Jorgan K. (age 63) and Mrs. Sebina M. (age 51) [we have omitted last names for security], and they were abducted from their small yacht and dragged into the hills, where they are currently being held. They have been in contact with their families, the German Federal Police, and the German embassy. They told family members they were "well given the circumstance."

An official with a Puntland-based human rights agency, Yusuf Ahmed Jama, was allowed to visit the Germans who he also identifies as Mr. Jorgan K. and Mrs. Sebina M., in a remote area of the Sanaag region. "I spoke and stayed with the hostages for two days," Mr. Jama told Radio Garowe. He went on to say that the pirates are a group of "trained and well-armed men who are not easy to approach," saying they only allowed him to visit because it was for a "humanitarian purpose." Mr. Jama found that the 63 year old Mr. K "only [had] three days of [diabetic] medical supplies left." He was reportedly given additional medical supplies soon after. The 51 year old woman Sebina "is in good health," but was roughed up during the initial kidnapping when she was reportedly "beaten lightly." According to Mr. Jama the hostages are well fed and have "their own cook." He added "they [the Germans] are taken around each day, but the place is like Tora Bora [the mountains in Afghanistan where the Taliban hide]."

There is still no solid news on the unconfirmed reports of a child and French captain who were reported by AP to have been taken along with the German couple. With all of our contacts in Somalia, Berlin, and elsewhere, we have found little evidence that there are more than two hostages involved. One of our contacts in Somalia spoke with a clan elder yesterday, who reported again that there is in fact an eight year old boy. The elder stated that the child had been very ill with fever, but is well now. This information we are treating as highly suspect, and completely unconfirmed. Whether the boy exists, or if this is simply a negotiation tactic by the pirates, is certainly in question. Our contact was refused access to the hostages, but the clan leader did state that ransom negotiations were going well, and the pirates expect the situation to be resolved soon.

Somaliland troops who are in the region of Sanaag where the pirates are keeping the hostages have been, according to locals, 'making irregular maneuvers in recent days,' and standing guard at checkpoints in and around the hostage-holding site are heavily armed guards. This despite the request by clan elders, who to ease talks with the kidnappers, have asked all troops to withdraw from the area. Unconfirmed reports by locals say that although the Puntland security forces had withdrawn to the port city of Bossaso, the Somaliland soldiers led by Sanaag native Gurey Osman Salah have not withdrawn, and remain in place. These soldiers have now captured Las Qorey district, where the hostages were being kept, forcing the pirates to move the hostages further east to the Badhan district of Sanaag. Locals also say that as many as 150 Puntland soldiers may have now joined forces with the kidnappers. Somaliland and Puntland are semi-autonomous regions which both make claims to overlapping areas of land in the horn of Africa, and they are at odds regularly.

Our hearts go out to the families of the hostages, and we will keep you updated on this situation as it develops. It is both international maritime law and the duty of every Navy on the water to combat piracy, and it is long past time for the international community to stop hand-wringing and start acting.

- Kim Hampton for YachtPals

Read more about piracy in Somalia:

• Pirates Attack Yacht off Somalia - Abduct Crew
• Pirates Hold Tourists Hostage - Germany Debates Response
• Piracy
• Pirates
• Somalia