Somalia: Pirates say they will Welcome British Couples’ Yacht in Harardhere Coming Hours (RBC NEWS)
Abdalle Muumin
RBC Radio Staff
abdalle.muumin@raxanreeb.com
Harardhere, (RBC Radio) Somali pirates who are holding the British couples’ yacht has said that they hijacked yacht and the British couple will reach the coast of Harardhere, a town in the Mudug province of central Somalia coming 24 hours, pirates source told RBC Radio.
Harardhere which is in the Indian Ocean coast is the second largest hub for the pirates, where hundred of pirate men live and locate.
Adam Yahye, a pirate leader told RBC Radio by phone in Harardhere the notorious den of the pirates that they are happy today because he is expecting that the British couple and their yacht will arrive in harardhere coast with the next 24 hours.
“Really we are happy because we want to see the British couple coming here, we expect to demand a huge money for ransom because they (the British couple) are thieves, they came into our waters with out permission and this is a crime”, Adam said speaking from the coast of Harardhere where his voice could be hardly heard as heavy winds were disturbing.
Adam Yahye 29, insisted that he and his colleagues are the Somalia’s coastguard as the country has no effective government since 1991.
“We are not pirates; we are the coast guards of this country…. Look I used to be a fisherman and my boat was destroyed by foreing vessels entering our waters”. He added “Who will be the coastguards?”.
The pirate leader told RBC Radio that the old couples of British nationality are in good health and will be allowed to contact with their families when they reach Harardhere coast.
He warned that they will even target the EU naval forces patrolling the Somali coast as he accused of stealing the sea resources. This pirate leader did not reveal still and demand of ransom but he said “they will”.
Another pirate in Harardhere voiced surprise that the British couple chose to set sail in the middle of the piracy peak season and head straight into his colleagues’ hunting grounds.
“This was an unexpected catch because nobody could have predicted that two people on their own would have dared to venture out in the Indian Ocean at this time,” Abdi Yare said.
Ahmed Hassan, Local resident in Harardhere told RBC Radio that he saw dozens of pirate men going to the coast to welcome the coming yacht with eight pirates who hijacked it.
Mr and Mrs Chandler, aged 58 and 55, went missing after setting off for Tanzania from the Seychelles on 21 October through waters in which regular attacks by pirates had taken place.
Source: RBC Radio
