Archive for February, 2010

Pirates reduce ransom for Chandlers after pressure from abroad

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010

Rachel ChandlerBartamaha (Nairobi):- The pirates who captured a retired British couple four months ago have dismissed growing pressure from the Somali diaspora for their unconditional release but are reducing their ransom demands.

Speaking to The Times from the place where Paul and Rachel Chandler are held, a pirate leader identifying himself as Ali Gedow rejected appeals from the British and other expatriate Somali communities worried about their reputation. “We don’t care about their pressure,” he declared.

But he made no mention of the pirates’ original demand for a $7 million (£4.5 million) ransom and suggested that they might release the couple if they can recoup their “expenses”. He put those at around $2 million, claiming that they included the cost of 150 guards, renting vehicles and food.

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Somalis pledge to help free pirate hostages

Thursday, February 18th, 2010
The Somali group are desperate to help

The Somali group are desperate to help

SOMALIS living in Redbridge have vowed to do “everything in our power” to help free a British couple kidnapped last year by Somali pirates stalking the Indian Ocean.

Yusuf Munye, 34, of Chester Road, Seven Kings, is leading a united front among the borough’s Somali population in the push to get Rachel and Paul Chandler released.

They were kidnapped while sailing from the Seychelles to Tanzania in October.

Their captors have threatened to kill the couple if their demands for $7million (£4.4million) are not met.

Mr Munye said: “Some people think the Somali community in Ilford supports the pirates.

“The main reason we have come together is to show we don’t support them.

“We are totally against their actions and we support our British brothers and sisters.”

Video footage released of the couple at the end of January showed them appealing for help after almost four months in captivity.

Last week, members of the Redbridge Somali community met in the Cardinal Heenan Centre, High Road, Ilford, to discuss what they could do to help bring the couple home.

Mr Munye said: “The government has said they won’t pay a ransom but we’re thinking about raising money to help.

“We’re also talking about trying to make contact with these pirates to help bring the Chandlers home.

“If we’re able to talk to them or to others in Somalia, there’s a chance they will release them.

“We will do everything in our power to free them.”

Mrs Chandler, 60 and Mr Chandler, 56, are understood to have been separated by their captors and are being held in areas between the coastal village of Elhur and the small town of Amara, which is further inland.

Sourced from www.ilfordrecorder.co.uk

Danes free ship, Somali Government appeals for release of sailors

Monday, February 8th, 2010

As Danish Special Forces stormed a hijacked ship and released the crew, the Somali Government has appealed to pirates to free the British crew of a yacht now held for more than three months.

Somali Labour Minister Mohamed Abdi Hayir, who is from Suleiman sub-clan of the Habar-gidir, and reported to be a relative of the clan who have kidnapped Paul and Rachel Chandler, said yesterday: ‘We urge the pirates to release the old British couple unconditionally.’

He made the demand during a news conference at the Presidential palace.

‘We also urge the British government and all Somalis to participate in releasing the couple by whatever the means. They are innocent Britons in the hands of criminals,’ he added. However, he refused to elucidate further on what he meant by the reference to the British Government.

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What happened to the donation counter?

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

A non-donor sent me an email this morning stating the following:

What happened to the money counter on the website? This concerns me…I hope the small funds have gone to paying the Chandler’s ransom. I hope this isn’t a ripoff! Damn, I so want them to be released!

I figure I would answer it publicly because there may be others (including the gracious people who have donated) that are curious as well.

It was brought to my attention by a professional who has worked with many of these cases that displaying this information may not be helpful during possible negotiations. My intentions are nothing less than helping Paul and Rachel get back to their families so I will avoid doing anything that might jeopardize this cause!

British Government defends no-ransom policy

Monday, February 1st, 2010

The Foreign Office has defended its stance of not paying a ransom to help free a British couple taken hostage by Somali pirates three months ago.

It issued a statement after an anti-piracy maritime group insisted it should be allowed to negotiate a payment for Paul and Rachel Chandler.

This picture of Mrs Chandler was released on Sunday

This picture of Mrs Chandler was released on Sunday


The Foreign Office said concessions would only “encourage” future kidnaps.

The Chandlers, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, were captured while sailing towards Tanzania on 23 October.

The latest news of the couple emerged on Sunday. They spoke of their ordeal through a news agency which had been allowed to send a photographer when they were examined by a doctor last week.

The Chandlers said they were being badly treated and were in urgent need of help.
The pirates have threatened to kill the couple if their demands for $7m (£4.4m) are not met.

‘Green light’

Nick Davis, chairman of the Merchant Maritime Warfare Centre, which provides anti-piracy advice and training, said the Chandlers’ captors were running out of patience.

“The door is open for them to be released. Somebody needs to pick up the gauntlet and run with it,” he said.

“For the amounts involved, I don’t think it’s worth trying to bring anyone to justice. We just need to get Paul and Rachel home.

“We are the people who know what needs to be done, we can do it, we just need to be allowed to do it.”

Mr Davis said he could not do anything without the “green light” from the Foreign Office and the Chandlers’ family.

He said the pirates would need to feel they were talking to somebody with the authorization and means to secure the release.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said it had “never attempted to block any activity by Mr Davis”.

“Although there is no UK law against third parties paying ransoms, we counsel against them doing so because we believe that making concessions only encourages future kidnaps.

“This is why the government does not make or facilitate substantive concessions to hostage takers.”

‘Please help’

The couple were examined by a surgeon on Thursday and Mrs Chandler was reportedly in a poor state of mental and physical health.

Mr Chandler was being held at a separate location from his wife

Mr Chandler was being held at a separate location from his wife

Mrs Chandler, who was being held in a separate location from her husband, told the news agency AFP: “I’m old, I’m 56 and my husband is 60 years old. We need to be together because we have not much time left.”

Mr Chandler appeared in better health than his wife but was also under extreme stress, AFP said.
“I just want to say please, to my government, get me and my wife out of here,” he said.
“We have no money and we can’t pay a ransom. We just need the government to help, anyone who can help us out of here.”

A Downing Street spokesman said the government was in regular contact with the Chandler family.

“The prime minister’s view is that hostage taking is never justified and we would like to repeat the government’s call that Paul and Rachel Chandler should be released immediately and unconditionally,” he said.

“We are doing everything we can to secure their release.”