Bartamaha (Nairobi):- Paul and Rachel Chandler, the British couple kidnapped by Somali pirates last October, could be released within weeks, a Somali official has said.
Mohamed Omar Dalha, the deputy speaker of Somalia’s parliament, said Somali communities inside and outside the country have been working to negotiate the release of the Chandlers.
“We are hopeful that the British couple will be released as soon as possible without condition,” he said.
The couple, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were taken captive by pirates on October last year as they sailed their yacht, the Lynn Rival, in the Indian Ocean.
The Somali community in the UK held public meetings and demonstrations demanding their freedom. Well-known Somalis have also spoken on the media serving the community, which broadcast and publish regular appeals for the Chandlers’ release.
In a recent interview, Mr Chandler thanked the UK’s Somali community after he was told they were doing what they could to aid their release, saying: “It’s very nice to know that the Somali community and the UK are concerned about me, I am very grateful.”
Hostages Paul and Rachel have made a direct plea in their first video obtained byChannel 4 News in November last year, warning UK authorities they fear the Somali pirates who kidnapped them may kill them.
In the two-minute video, the couple look thin, tired and stressed. Behind them the kidnappers brandish guns, at one point aiming their weapons directly at the Chandlers.
Since then, they have made a number of similar appeals to the British government asking to negotiate with the pirates. But the Foreign Office refuses to negotiate with hostage takers.
A spokesman said: “We call for the release of Paul and Rachel. Our efforts are ongoing to secure the safe release of the couple. We are in close touch with the family.”
Dalha said that Somalis have been working to negotiate the “unconditional release” of the Chandlers. However, it is extremely unusual for pirates to release hostages without being paid ransom money. They sometimes label their “expenses” for costs incurred while holding hostages.
Last week, speaking to a UK-based Somali TV, pirate leader Ali Gedow rejected appeals from the Somali communities.
But he reduced the original demand for a $7m ransom and suggested that they might release the couple if they can recoup their “expenses”. He put those at around $2m, claiming that they included the cost of guards, renting vehicles and food.
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Source:- Chanel4
