Somalia: Pirates Demand $ 7 Million for British Hostages (RBC NEWS)

Abdalle Muumin
RBC Radio Staff
abdalle.muumin@raxanreeb.com

HARARDHERE, (RBC Radio)  The Somali pirates holding the British couples have confirmed their demand for a ransom of $ 7 million to release the two British hostages, RBC Radio reports.

Hassan, a pirate leader in the largest base of the pirates in Somalia Harardhere has said they want $7 million to release the couples. The pirate also assured that they are currently holding the couples at ashore.
“We only need a little amount of $7 million,” he said in a telephone from Harardhere coast some 30-km from south of Hobyo in central Somalia.

The pirate leader said that the couple, Paul and Rachel Chandler, 58 and 55, would not be harmed unless the pirates were attacked by the Western naval task force that was shadowing them.

The Somali pirates always cost their demand of ransom if it is possible before they discover, according to pirates source.

The pirates who are holding the British couples have reached at the coast Friday night after they sailed on a container ship which they seized also.

It is unclear whether the relatives of the two couples will afford to pay such a large amount of a ransom, but they said before that “they will meet any price of demand” from the hijackers.

Source: RBC Radio