International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez on Monday appealed for urgent efforts to rescue 44 seafarers held captive in Somali waters by pirates operating in the region.
The 44 seafarers, which includes a few Indian-origin crew members as well, are currently being held captive aboard three vessels hijacked between April and May this year from the Gulf of Aden and off the coasts of Somalia.
The ships being held hostage are the two oil tankers Honour 25 (IMO: 1099735), and the Eureka (IMO: 1022823), as well as the cargo ship Sward (IMO: 9174244).
Speaking at the IMO Council meeting in London, Dominguez highlighted that the crew members were facing a dire situation as they were running critically low on food and water, and were living under the constant threat of violence.
“I ask for your support in securing their safe release," he said at the meeting for the IMO's 137th session from July 6-10.
“These incidents are a stark reminder that the threat posed by piracy and armed robbery to seafarers has not receded and continues to warrant vigilance and support for coordinated action,” he added.
How the three vessels were captured
The Palau-flagged Honour 25, which had been carrying about 18,500 barrels of oil for the Somalian capital of Mogadishu, was overrun by six armed pirates on the night of April 21, just 30 nautical miles (NM) off the Somali coast.
Its 17-member crew, including one Indian, were then taken hostage, sparking fears not just for the lives of those abducted, but also for the loss of crude at a time when Mogadishu had seen petrol prices triple due to the war in the Gulf, a BBC report said.
Just five days later, a group of pirates hijacked the Sward about 6 NM from the Somali port town of Garacad, after which they steered the vessel to a remote area nearby.
Another group of seven pirates—six armed men and one interpreter—then boarded the cement carrier ship, and a few days later, the Saint Kitts and Nevis-flagged vessel had about 20 pirates onboard, alongside the ship's 17 crew members, which included two Indian crew members.
On May 2, the Togo-flagged Eureka, headed for Somalia with 2,800 tonnes of diesel, was similarly overrun by pirates off the Yemeni coast in the Gulf of Aden.
Its 22-member crew is also said to include a number of Indian seafarers.
A dangerous trend
Reiterating his commitment to work alongside flag states, coastal states, regional bodies, and the wider industry to secure the mariners' release, he also pointed out that the crisis was part of a more disturbing trend.
Dominguez explained that over the past three months alone, the IMO has recorded 24 attempted and actual incidents of piracy against ships in the region, involving increasingly dangerous weapons.
Notably, the bulk carrier Golden Arsenal (IMO: 9493212), which planned to head to India when it left from Yemen's Port of Aden on June 30, might have been one such case, if not for naval intervention.
Pirates had attempted to board the ship on the night of July 1 (local time) in the Gulf of Aden, which led to the crew sending distress signals to the authorities.
The Indian Navy, which has a dedicated anti-piracy force in the area, responded by sending the INS Trikand, a frontline guided missile frigate, which rushed to the scene and foiled the illegal boarding attempt.
The merchant vessel then resumed its journey, later changing its destination to the Khor Fakkan Port in the UAE, instead of the V.O. Chidambaranar Port in India.
