Friday, a British couple held hostage by Somali pirates expressed fears in a video footage obtained by British media that they may be killed within a week unless the British government engages in ransom negotiations with their captors.
Paul Chandler and his wife Rachel were seized by pirates from their yacht on 23rd October as they sailed from the Seychelles to Tanzania. The pirates abandoned the couple's yacht after seizing them. It was later found adrift in international waters by British Royal Navy.
The couple were initially reported to be missing in the Indian Ocean. Their abduction was confirmed only after the pirates allowed the couple to make a telephonic conversation with Rachel Chandler's brother.
In the video obtained by British news agencies on Friday, Paul Chandler said the pirates will not hesitate to kill the couple if ransom talks fail to begin in a week's time. Speaking at gun point, he appealed to the British government, people of Britain and members of the couple's families "to do whatever you can to at least open negotiations with these people about money, so perhaps our lives can be brought back."
"And I have no doubt that they will not hesitate to kill us in a week or so from now if there is no response. So, please somebody get in touch otherwise we just sleep-walk to a tragic ending," he added.
The video footage also showed Rachel Chandler speaking on gunpoint. She said that their captors were getting impatient over the failure of concerned authorities to enter into negotiations for their release.
Following the release of the couple's video plea, the British government expressed its sympathies for the victims' families, describing them as "blameless tourists." However, a statement issued by the Foreign Office reiterated the government's stand of not making any "substantive concessions to hostage takers, including ransoms."
Meanwhile, media reports suggested that the pirates have demanded a ransom of $7 million for the release of the British couple. It is understood that the pirates made their ransom demand in an call to the BBC.
The Somali coast has been affected by piracy in the recent years. More than a hundred pirate attacks have been reported in the waters off Somalia since the beginning of 2008. Generally, the crew and the vessels are returned unharmed on receiving the demanded ransom.
The pirate attacks off the Somali coast have continued despite the presence of several warships, deployed by navies of the NATO, the European Union, Russia, China, South Korea and India, in the region to protect cargo and cruise ships against piracy in the region.
In addition, the UN Security Council has approved four resolutions since June to promote international efforts to fight the escalating piracy problem off the coast of Somalia, and has authorized countries engaged in anti-piracy operations off the Somali coast to conduct land and air attacks on Somali pirates after obtaining prior permission from the Somali government.
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