Four months without water and food. Four months of anguish under the threat of weapons. Zoulficar passengers were finally reunited with the mainland. Reporting ...
Emotion ran high yesterday at Diego. The 21 passengers - emaciated, malnourished and dehydrated, weathered skin and hauled by the weather - are finally released after four months in captivity. Their ordeal ended with the arrest by the military Malagasy twelve Somali pirates who have kidnapped at sea while they were heading for Dar es Salaam, on board Zoulficar after have left the Comoros.
Thus, towed by the boat marina on 140 km, Zoulficar could reach the harbor of Diego around 9 am yesterday, after four months on the high seas under the control of Somali pirates. The passengers consist of cosmopolitan citizens of Madagascar, Tanzania and Comoros burst into tears when approaching the coast antsiranaise. "I no longer hoped to regain the land and be alive. The pirates were too arrogant and we are concerned at any time in our lives. For almost four months, we lived a life of hardship. Every time we would move a little, we immediately pointed weapons on the front. And sometimes, hackers apparently under the influence of drugs, opened fire, just to intimidate us and we prove they are not here to joke, "according to Hassan the master of the crew. The chief engineer Zoulficar was coldly gunned down Oct. 31 and his body was thrown overboard. Since that horrific scene, the message is passed: the passengers are confronted with people without qualms. The fear was at its peak for the three women aboard. One of them should have been granted a medical evacuation in Dar Es Salaam for surgery.
Arbahin. Yesterday, passengers Zoulficar immediately given first aid emergency. Their lives are no longer in danger. Most women were placed on a drip after a long period of dehydration and malnutrition. Comoros, not everyone expected to see what these people are still alive. This Nation has already organized the Arbahin, a ritual designed to honor the dead. "After four overflights and some operations of the European aircraft tracking device Atalanta supported by a ship of the Indian Navy, was finally located Zoulficar Friday at 8:00 p.m. thirty. Malagasy Navy did not wait longer to initiate his plan.
Breathless. Commandos of the 2nd RFI and gendarmerie of the Naval Air Antsiranana have been hard at work since the pirates were still believed to be armed. On site, all individuals on board lifted his hands in the air to avoid any confusion. Pirates, meanwhile, have raised a white flag in surrender. "There was no hint of retaliation on their part" by Captain Rolland Rasolofonirina who commissioned the military operation with 30 commandos. An operation that is intended to rescue the hostages and the rescue of sick passengers, not to mention the arrest of the alleged pirates. "We survived with the forty five bags of rice and sugar on board. We ate it for two times a day for four months. Before yesterday, we had nothing more than thirty gallons of fresh water, equivalent to our need for the day. We were breathless when the rescue team finally arrived to the great relief of all passengers, "said Ali Abdu, second engineer of the boat. Yesterday, the Navy pushed a sigh of relief by closing this case. It remains for the police to continue processing the case through its investigations it will open very soon. "Since the arrests took place in the Malagasy maritime territory, and there were among the victims of Malagasy mischief pirates on the boat, the bandits of the high seas are therefore brought to justice Malagasy 'by Prosecutor Republic of Diego, Mohamed Abdou Ali.
Navy Malagasy deserves congratulations after her speech that made no loss of life or damage. Despite the age Patroller "Trozona" the Navy has conducted a masterly operation. To the chagrin of Somali pirates. It is time to provide adequate facilities that entity to better address threats increasingly common in this region.
Chronology of
October 31: Zoulficar the boat, from Moroni is heading for Dar Es Salaam, with 22 people aboard. The building is stormed by Somali pirates in two speedboats on board 40 and 50 horses. The chief engineer Oussouf Ali was shot dead and thrown into the sea the same day. The ship was hijacked Mogadishu. Subsequently, it has been used by hackers to other acts on the high sea (PANAMA boat was one of their victims)
February 9: The pirates are organized into teams of rotation. A third team was boarded Zoulficar vain to attack another ship named "Delmas". Four pirates were killed when their speedboat had overturned at sea during the attack occurred in the territorial waters of Seychelles.
February 19: Zoulficar ran out of fuel. The Pirates have decided to give up but when they returned realized that their fuel reserves are not enough to return to Somalia. Thus the captain Soalihi Boanaheri negotiated their disarmament before he agrees again these hijackers.
February 21: Two hackers have decided to take with them the captain supposed to know the path to reach the coast of Madagascar with two passengers and two crew members. Diego arrived at the two hijackers were arrested by the police of the Port.
February 23: Navy begins its plan. First passage without any results.
February 24: An Overview in the coastal zone (Vavapasy in Cap d'Ambre).
February 25: An Overview of the territorial waters of the Comoros. Intervention by the Navy with the European aircraft detection Atalanta. Intervention of the Indian Navy. About 20 hours. All localization teams are unanimous on the position of Zoulficar, 140 km north-east of Diego.
February 26: to 11:30, the Navy was there and began to take his statement.
February 27: Zoulficar was towed by the vessel and MARINA arrived safely at Diego.
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