A ship hijacked by Somali pirates earlier this week has arrived in Somalia in order to avoid a European anti-piracy task force in the area, according to sources at Red Sea Navigation (RSN), the company that operates the ship.
The same sources said the pirates had not yet contacted the company to inform it of their demands.
The cargo ship M.V.Suez was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on Monday while transporting a consignment of cement from Pakistan to Yemen's Mosawa seaport. The ship carried a crew of 23 sailors of different nationalities, including 11 Egyptians.
Notably, another ship operated by RSN was hijacked by pirates two years ago.
“That time, hijackers released the ship after we paid a ransom," said RSN Commercial Director Mohamed Abdel Mohsen, denying reports that the cost of the ransom had later been deducted from crew members' salaries.
Abdel Mohsen went on to predict that negotiations with the pirates would likely begin on Saturday.
“A high-ranking state official helped us in the negotiation process last time, and eventually managed to secure the ship's release,” he said, suggesting that the company could seek assistance from the same high-level contact this time.
Translated from the Arabic Edition.
