After 151 days held captive off Somalia, eight Egyptian sailors arrived back in Cairo late Sunday, where tearful families greeted them with embraces, prayers and ululations.
The sailors’ return came after the Foreign Ministry said Saturday that they had reached Mogadishu. Egyptian Ambassador to Somalia Mohamed Salah received the group and arranged for them to stay at the embassy before their flight to Cairo.
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The ministry had announced their release on Wednesday, ending nearly five months of captivity aboard the M/T Eureka off Somalia’s Puntland State region.
Relatives gathered at Cairo Airport to welcome the sailors before they set off for their hometowns.
First meeting with infant daughter
Media reports said Adham Salem Shaaban Gaber, 35, reached his home in eastern Alexandria early Monday and met his five-month-old daughter, Tia, for the first time. She was born three days after he was abducted.
“I counted the days until I could see my daughter’s face. Only today will I be able to sleep peacefully and safely with my family,” Gaber said.
Neighbours greeted him with fireworks and flares, and photographs of the sailor were displayed outside homes. His mother embraced him as she wept and ululated.
Gaber said his return had “brought life back to my body,” adding that his happiness became complete when he finally held Tia.
He was one of eight Egyptian sailors whose release followed months of diplomatic efforts by Cairo.
Video still / Al Arabiya Egypt.
‘I felt safe’
In Menoufiya, sailor Sameh Abdel-Azim returned to his hometown and spoke of his relief at being back in Egypt, according to Cairo 24’s coverage of his homecoming.
“As soon as the plane arrived in Egypt, I felt safe,” he said.
Sameh expressed gratitude to the Egyptian government and embassy, along with his family and son, who had waited for his return.
“I missed my family so much,” he said.
Gunfire, hunger and threats
Speaking to Al Arabiya/Al Hadath, Sameh said the months in captivity were like “scenes from horror films.” He described hunger, humiliation, a lack of water and nights interrupted by gunfire, saying the crew at times feared they might never see their families again.
Another sailor, Ahmed Mahmoud, said the captors permitted calls to relatives as a way to pressure families into raising ransom payments. He said the crew became so desperate that some considered confronting the armed pirates despite the risks.
Gaber likewise recalled shortages of food and safe drinking water. He said the captors closely monitored the sailors, requiring permission for any movement and threatening immediate punishment if they disobeyed.
He thanked Egypt’s Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian diplomatic mission and the authorities involved in organising the sailors’ release and return.
Months of negotiations
The ordeal began on 2 May, when armed men seized the tanker near Yemen and forced it towards Puntland State. The crew consisted of eight Egyptians and four Indians.
Ransom negotiations repeatedly stalled. In June, the Egyptian Maritime Officers Syndicate said talks had broken down after the hijackers increased their payment demands.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty directed contacts with Somali officials aimed at securing the sailors’ release. In August, he said Somalia was in daily communication with the kidnappers.
On 7 September, Abdelatty again called on Somali authorities to intensify efforts to free the Egyptians and protect their safety.
After their release, the sailors were taken to Mogadishu, where the Egyptian embassy organised their journey back home.
