Egypt is ramping up efforts to secure the release of the crew from a tanker seized by pirates off the coast of Somalia since early May. The Foreign Ministry has reiterated its commitment to this cause while also providing support to the families of the Egyptian sailors aboard. This initiative follows reports that negotiations have stalled, with the head of Egypt’s Maritime Officers Syndicate indicating that the pirates are demanding a higher ransom, effectively returning the situation to square one.
The incident began on May 2 when armed individuals boarded the tanker Eureka while it was anchored off Qana Port in Yemen. The vessel was subsequently reported to be heading towards Somalia and is now anchored off the Puntland coast. Owned by interests in Yemen and registered in Togo, the Eureka has a crew of 22, including eight Egyptians.
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry is actively coordinating efforts to ensure the crew’s safety, with the embassy in Mogadishu facilitating communication between the sailors and their families. The Foreign Minister has mandated daily monitoring of the situation and is working closely with the shipowner in Yemen, as well as the Egyptian embassy in Riyadh, to liaise with Yemeni authorities.
The hijacking of the Eureka is part of a worrying trend, with three incidents reported in late April and early May. EUNAVFOR Atalanta is currently monitoring these developments, which have seen a notable uptick in pirate activity in the region, leading to confrontations between pirates and vessels, while some ships have successfully evaded boarding attempts.
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