Pirates Hold Tourists Hostage - Germany Debates Response
Jama Hirsi Farah, Puntland's state minister for security told the press Wednesday that Somali pirates have demanded $1 million for the release of the German couple, their young son and a French captain who were taken captive by pirates on Monday off the coast of Somalia. A clan elder who is helping to negotiate with the pirates told AFP that the boy is suffering from a fever and needs medical help, although this information has not been confirmed. In fact details about the identity and number of hostages are still vague. The German government confirms the kidnapping, but not the number or nationality of the hostages, which still remains in question.
Jama Hirsi Farah said that local authorities are taking the case of four kidnapped tourists from Europe "very seriously." Jama Hersi Farah told Radio Garowe that the Puntland administration had dispatched traditional elders to deal with 'the kidnappers from Puntland.' "The kidnappers told the elders that they want ransom for the tourists," Farah said, adding that the Puntland government has very strict rules prohibiting ransom payments to pirates. The security official accused ship owners of "paying millions" to pirates, only reinforcing their illegal activities. According to Farah, officials from the breakaway region of Somaliland "have no business in this matter."
Meanwhile in Berlin, German lawmakers are debating how and whether German warships can try to free the hostages. The German navy has had ships near Somalia for years, aiding against terrorist in Operation Enduring Freedom. The Deputy Defense Minister Thomas Kossendey of Germany, is arguing that the German constitution should be amended by parliament to let the navy intervene with these ships.
"The frustrating thing is that our people who are in the region, with the means to do something, are hindered for constitutional reasons," Kossendey told ARD yesterday. The navy can legally intervene for "emergency rescue," but "as soon as aggression is involved, [for example] if pirates make off with a ship and capture the crew, then chasing them with naval forces is no longer possible." Kossendey suggested changing the German constitution, known as the Basic Law, that would allow a "clean constitutional basis" for sending in the German navy.
Günter Gloser, a Social Democrat deputy minister in the Foreign Ministry, disagrees, saying no amendment was necessary. He insisted that it is an internationally recognized right for "warships on the high seas" to pursue and punish pirates. The navy simply required permission to form a special crisis squad, according to Gloser and other Social Democrats. "Kossendey wants something else entirely," Rainer Arnold, the Social Democrats' defense expert in the German parliament, told the German newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger. "He wants the navy to fight pirates under its own authority. It's an attempt to open a debate on a constitutional amendment".
We urge the German government to put politics aside for the time being, and concentrate on the quickest action that will bring your citizens home to safety. Our hearts go out to the families of the hostages, and we promise to keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Story Photo: German Ship by DPA
MORE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT: Pirates Attack Yacht off Somalia - Abduct Crew
READ AN UPDATE ABOUT THE GERMAN HOSTAGES BELOW (the word from Berlin)
Submitted By YachtPals on 26 Jun
pirates,pirate,piracy,hostage,hostages,somalia,somaliland,ransom,tourist,german, yacht, boat, tourists
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Facebook
Google
Yahoo
Boating and Sailing Magazine Feed
Pirates Hold Yachties Hostage Update - Security Issues
YachtPals spoke with a high-level member of the German Foreign Office in Berlin a few hours ago, regarding the yachties who were kidnapped by pirates off the coast of Somalia earlier this week. It is our duty as a news source to not only cover the facts of a story, but consider the implications of the information we are providing. This is never more critical than when hostages are involved.
With that said, and at the request of the German government, we are limiting the amount of information we are making available to you, our readers. While we completely understand the global community's eagerness to find out the details of the attack, and will continue to provide updates, we will not be releasing the names at this point, the location of where the hostages are believed to be, or any activities currently under way or being planned to secure their safe release. We will also not be confirming the accuracy of other's reports of this matter.
What we can tell you with a high degree of certainty is that there are at least two hostages, and that they are German citizens. Berlin cannot confirm whether there is a child, or a "French Captain" as has been reported. While we do have more information ourselves, we will not be releasing the complete details of the situation unless and until we feel it is safe to do so without endangering the captives.
We know our readers understand our position on this matter, and we assure you that YachtPals will provide the "whole story" once it is safe to do so.
Post new comment