After 151 days of kidnapping, Egyptian sailors recount days of terror

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After about five months of detention and waiting, the kidnapped Egyptian sailors breathed a sigh of relief as the procedures for their return to Egypt began, following the efforts of the Egyptian state to follow up on their file and work to return them to their homeland.

The Egyptian sailors spoke about the details of the difficult days they lived during the kidnapping period, reviewing the harsh conditions they experienced and constant anxiety throughout their detention, before their suffering ended by returning to Egypt and meeting their families again.

The sailors narrated some of the details of the kidnapping trip, the conditions they lived through during the detention period, and the moments before their release and the start of their return journey to Cairo, stressing that arriving home represented the end of the most difficult period they had lived.

In addition, Sameh Abdel Azim, one of the Egyptian sailors who were detained on board the ship, said in exclusive statements to Al-Arabiya.net and Al-Hadath.net on Sunday: “They were very difficult days, during which we only saw scenes resembling horror movies. We spent 151 days at sea, and weapons were everywhere, and we heard gunfire constantly, until we came to feel that we would never return again, and that our lives had ended to this point.”

As for the details of the kidnapping, Abdel Azim said: “We were working on the ship normally, and suddenly we were kidnapped, and we did not know the reasons for what happened. It was a very difficult experience for us and all of our families, especially with the lack of food and drink, in addition to the insults and threats, and we would sometimes wake up to the sounds of gunfire from the pirates who were seeking to get money.”

Abdel Azim also spoke about the details of the process of liberating them, adding: “After we learned of our release, we descended from the mountain, and the security forces in Somalia intervened with the pirates, but we did not know what was happening, until sudden news came to us that we had become free, and that we would be informed of our return to our homeland,” stressing: “At first we did not believe that the matter had actually ended.”

He expressed his appreciation for the efforts made by Egyptian officials to intervene to release the sailors and secure their return to their homeland, stressing that returning to Egypt and meeting their families was the most important thing they wished for throughout the difficult period of detention. He continued: “After that, we learned of the intervention of officials in Egypt on our behalf, and we extend our great thanks to them for the efforts they made... After this difficult period, we had no dream but to return to Egypt and meet our families.”

In this vein, Ahmed Mahmoud, one of the Egyptians who were detained on board the ship, told Al Arabiya.net and Al Hadath.net that the period of detention was very difficult, noting that they would wake up to the sounds of gunfire, while weapons were spread around them, which made their lives like a “nightmare,” and the minutes were passing very slowly for them.

He also added: "We were subjected to great pressure from the pirates who attacked the ship, kidnapped us, and held us for 151 days. They were demanding a ransom in exchange for our release. They were allowing us to contact our families, but the goal of that was to pressure them to obtain money, which made us live in a constant state of fear and anxiety."

The surprise in Mahmoud’s speech was their thought of liberating “themselves,” saying: “At times we thought about dealing with armed pirates and ending the matter in any way, so as to get rid of the torment and difficult treatment to which we were subjected, but at the same time we were aware of the danger of dealing with armed people in this way.”

He explained that the sailors witnessed the intervention of the Somali forces one day, before the pirates decided to release them, noting that at first they did not believe what had happened and did not understand that they had actually become free, before the procedures began for them to return to the homeland and meet their families again.

As for the families, Adel Imam, Sameh Abdel Azim’s uncle, told Al Arabiya.net and Al Hadath.net, “The family is currently experiencing a great state of joy and happiness after the announcement of the release of the sailors and their safe return, especially after more than 5 months of anxiety, fear, and waiting,” explaining that “Throughout this period we were living in the hope that news would reach us that would reassure us about them, but at the same time fear was controlling us because of the long period of detention and the difficult circumstances in which we knew they were in detention.” "They live it."

He also pointed out that the period of detention of the sailors was extremely difficult for their families, as they were constantly waiting for any news or communications reassuring them about their children, amid a state of anxiety about when the crisis would end and the possibility of seeing them again, noting that the news of their release was a source of great joy for the families after a long period of worry, prayer, and waiting.

Imam stated that the Egyptian movements during the sailors’ detention period were greatly appreciated by the families, who were following the news they received regarding the efforts made to end their detention and return them to Egypt, thanking all those who contributed to these efforts.

Ambassador Mohamed Salah, the Egyptian ambassador to Somalia, received the Egyptian sailors upon their arrival at Mogadishu airport, where they were transferred to the embassy headquarters and provided with the necessary accommodation and care, in preparation for their departure accompanied by the Egyptian ambassador to Cairo.

These measures came in implementation of the directives of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and with the follow-up of Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty, regarding securing the return of Egyptian sailors from Somalia to Egypt.

It is noteworthy that the oil tanker "MT Eureka" was pirated at the beginning of last May by Somali armed groups while sailing off the coast of Yemen, and 12 sailors, including 8 Egyptians and 4 Indians, have been detained on board since May 2.

For 151 days, the families of the sailors waited for news of their relatives, amidst ambiguity surrounding the conditions of their detention and their fate, while negotiations for their release repeatedly faltered, due to disagreements regarding the value of the requested ransom.