PIRATES take German couple

[CruisingSpirit]

A German family of three, two adults and a child, have been kidnapped from their yacht off Yemen and taken to the mountainous regions of Somaliland. Negotiations for their release have been initiated.

Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7471150.stm

[MMNETSEA]

The yacht is said to have run out of fuel in the Gulf of Aden, the German family of 3 plus a French "Captain" or "Pilot" were 'abducted' by 'fishermen' and taken to Lassqorau 11 degrees 10 north x 48 degrees 13 minutes East on the northern coast of Somaliland (not Somalia) also known as 'Puntland'.

The coastal village of Laasqorau is in a Godforsaken stretch of desert :-





It is assumed that both the French and German navy who have warships in the area will be in hot pursuit now that the UN and the 'Somalis' have given permission to take whatever action is necessary to rescue the abductees and punish their captures.

Richard

[MMNETSEA]

UPDATE & CORRECTION

Berlin/Mogadishu - The German foreign ministry confirmed on Wednesday that two people abducted by pirates off the lawless Somali coast are German citizens.

"We must assume with a high degree of likelihood that this is a kidnapping," spokesperson Martin Jaeger said.

Early reports had claimed that four Europeans were kidnapped, including a pilot and a young child, but the ministry said there was no evidence a child had been involved. The pirates said they were holding only the couple.

The pirates Tuesday demanded a ransom for the release of the couple, believed to be in their 50s, who were abducted as they sailed through the Gulf of Aden on a trip from Egypt to Thailand.

The district commissioner of the Laas Qoray area, Yusuf Jama Dabeed, said that troops from the semi-autonomous region of Puntland found the yacht abandoned on the shore, but that by that point the kidnappers had taken their captives into the mountains.

It is believed that the kidnapping was an opportunistic action that involved both pirates and local fishermen.

[Lighthouse]

Ransom Demand Increased.

Somali pirates who seized four cruising sailors on June 23 – a German couple, their son and a French Skipper – have now upped their demands to US$2 million.

The four sailors, who had been sailing from Egypt to Thailand, are being held in a camp in the breakaway state of Somaliland. Unconfirmed reports from Africa identify the German yacht as the Rockall, the sailors as M. Sabine and K. Juergen.

Sailors have no chance against speed boats in the Gulf of Aden, which is only 75nm wide at its narrowest point. When pirates discovered the German yacht Rockall off the coast of Somalia on 23 June, an uneven race started. Two speedboats captured the sailing boat.

Full report from Sail-World - HERE