Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty
Egypt is intensifying diplomatic efforts to free eight Egyptian sailors kidnapped aboard an oil tanker off Somalia on 2 May, Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said.
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Speaking to Al Arabiya TV on Wednesday, Abdelatty said the efforts to secure the sailors’ release remain active.
He said the operation followed President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s directives to protect Egyptians and advance their interests overseas.
Abdelatty said he receives daily updates on the sailors’ situation and spoke on Tuesday with Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali.
Somali authorities, he explained, are drawing on their close relationships with tribes in the area where the vessel is being held as they work to free the hostages. Somali officials have also remained in daily communication with the kidnappers, he said.
The Egyptian foreign minister added that he was in contact with Yemen’s prime minister and foreign minister. The vessel belongs to a Yemeni national, he noted, and Yemeni officials speak with the ship’s owner every day.
Abdelatty said Cairo would continue working until the sailors are released safely and brought home.
He also pointed to Egypt’s recent success in securing the release and safe return of four sailors who had been detained off Iran since January.
The latest case began in early May, when Somali pirates seized the MT Eureka after it departed Yemeni waters and forced it toward Somali territorial waters near Puntland State.
The Togolese-flagged vessel has remained off the Somali coast since May. Its 12-member crew includes eight Egyptians.
In the aftermath of the hijacking, Egypt’s Foreign Ministry said it was closely monitoring developments.
The ministry said it had helped establish communication between the abducted sailors and their families. Its consular sector also held regular meetings with relatives to provide updates on efforts to secure their release.
Egypt’s embassy in Mogadishu has coordinated with Somali authorities and other relevant agencies. Egypt’s embassy in Riyadh, which is accredited to Yemen, has likewise maintained contact with Yemeni officials and the vessel’s owner.
Negotiations have been slowed by disagreements over the ransom.
Talks broke down after the pirates reportedly raised their demand, undoing an earlier attempt to reach a settlement.
The standoff has renewed fears over piracy in waters off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Aden, a vital maritime corridor connecting the Red Sea and the Suez Canal with international trade routes.
