By Walid Ramzi for Magharebia in Algiers
The crew of the MV Blida, hijacked by Somali pirates last January, could be home in Algeria as soon as Saturday (November 12th).
Algerian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Amar Belani confirmed the news on Monday, saying the ship was expected in Mombasa, Kenya on Thursday or Friday after being freed by the pirates November 3rd. The 16 Algerian sailors aboard the vessel will then be flown back to Algeria to meet their loved ones.
"Algeria welcomes this happy outcome which brings an end to a long and trying captivity and will spare no effort to ensure the authors of this act of piracy are prosecuted and tried by competent authorities," Belani said.
Belani added that the vessel had fuel and supplies and was being monitored by the foreign ministry's follow up cell, headed by Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci. The spokesman said that Medelci was able to contact an officer aboard the ship, who relayed a message that moral was high and the sailors longed to return to their families.
Relatives of the sailors expressed their relief and "indescribable" joy at the news. Ms Hannouch, wife of a released sailor, said that it was a "blessed, unforgettable day".
"On Thursday, at 7:30 AM, when I received a phone call from my husband, I couldn't believe my ears," she said. "It seemed as if I was dreaming when I heard him saying aloud 'they have released us, and we're now free. You can utter your zagharit'."
"I was overwhelmed with the tears of joy," she added. "He contacted me again at midday to reassure me, confirming that they have actually been released."
Hannouch, a resident of Tizi Ouzou in Kabylie, was planning to spend Eid al-Adha in Algiers with her husband's family. Her husband, 55, called her when she was on her way to the capital. "I decided to spend the day at home to wait for my husband with my children," she said.
Responding to reports that a ransom was paid for sailors' release, the foreign ministry spokesman said that "Algeria's position is firm and unwavering, and has been repeatedly and officially confirmed, that Algeria won't pay ransoms and that it strongly condemns this practice, whether carried out by states, public or private entities."
The MV Blida was hijacked January 1st, 2011 while en route to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from Salalah, Oman. Onboard were 27 sailors, including 17 Algerians. Two crewmembers were freed October 12th, including one Algerian in poor health.
Siham Ben Qasi, sister of kidnapped sailor Achour Ben Qasi, said that she couldn't believe the news. "Thank God that our brother will return after we lost all hopes in his return," she said.
"We had to hide the news about the kidnapping of my brother throughout the past period from our mother. Each time, we would justify his absence by a lie. Thank God that although our brother won't spend Eid with us, it is enough that he's been freed and will return peacefully to us, God willing," Ben Qasi said.
She said her brother used to call once every month or every two months to speak to them, although the call duration was not more than five minutes. She cited her brother as saying that "they were having pasta and dirty water for breakfast throughout the period they were detained by the Somali pirates, even during the month of Ramadan."
Meanwhile, Azzedine Toudji, a sailor released October 12th on humanitarian grounds, said that he now feels "fully free" after his colleagues were released.
"I now feel relieved. After I was released, I felt isolated and refused to receive family and friends, as I never stopped thinking about my colleagues because I was worried about their fates," Toudji said.
"My youngest sons, aged 9 and 12, didn't understand the deep sadness that I felt for my colleagues who were still detained," he added. "Now I can say that we're all free, and that the relief is general."
Source: Magharebia.com
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