Appeal to free pirates' hostages in Somalia

A human rights group on Friday appealed to Somali authorities to help free scores of hostages seized by pirates off the dangerous coast of the Horn of Africa nation.

London-based Amnesty International said hijackers were detaining more than 130 crew members of ships captured in Somalia’s pirate-infested waters.

Since the end of July, 10 vessels have been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden north of the lawless country, where a French sailing boat with two French nationals and an Egyptian ship were seized this week.

The watchdog urged Somali authorities to “take action to ensure the safe release of more than 130 individuals currently detained by Somali pirates in Puntland, Somalia”.

It also called on them to “use their influence to ensure that detainees are given immediate and regular access to all necessary medical care and to adequate supplies of water and food”, according to a statement.

The waters off Somalia are the most dangerous in the world for pirate attacks, with the International Maritime Bureau reporting 24 attacks in the area between April and June this year.

Somalia has lacked an effective government since it plunged into lawlessness with the 1991 ousting of president Mohamed Siad Barre.—Sapa-AFP