Sana'a - Saba:
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources condemned the kidnapping crime committed by an armed Somali group against Yemeni fishermen.
The ministry explained in a statement received by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) that an armed group of Somalis kidnapped and detained the fishing boat "Al-Maymoun 1" and its crew of 27 fishermen from Hadhramout Governorate while they were working in the Ras Banah area within the marine waters.
The statement indicated that the gunmen took the fishermen to the Bargal area and detained them there. They demanded a ransom of $50,000 for their release, despite the boat and its crew holding official fishing licenses issued by an accredited Somali office.
The Ministry condemned these practices, noting that this serious incident is a blatant violation of all maritime norms and laws, a direct threat to the lives of Yemeni fishermen, and an assault on their legitimate rights to practice their profession in peace.
The Ministry emphasized that this crime is not the first and is part of a series of repeated attacks targeting Yemeni fishermen, including the murder of Hadhrami fisherman Omar Nasser Sheikh, from the city of Mukalla, a year ago, by a Somali soldier. No serious measures have been taken to stop these violations.
The Ministry held the Somali authorities fully responsible for the safety of the detained fishermen and for any harm they may suffer, and called on them to take immediate action to free them and hold those involved accountable.