Somalia / UK - piracy

Pirates move British couple to land

Article published on the 2009-10-31 Latest update 2009-10-31 17:00 TU

The yacht 'Lynn Rival', belonging to British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler, photographed on 28 October.
(Photo: Reuters)

A Somali pirate said on Saturday that the British couple captured on 23 October has been moved to land, to a village outside the Somali town of Harardhere. The British Foreign Office said Friday that a ransom of 4.7 million euros had been requested for the release of Paul and Rachel Chandler.

But a Somali pirate, Abdi Yare, said Saturday that the pirates were divided as to whether to seek the ransom or to request the return of their colleagues, seven of whom were captured earlier this week after an attack on a French fishing boat.

The two Britons are Paul and Rachel Chandler, aged 59 and 55 respectively. They had been sailing across the Indian ocean from the Seychelles to Tanzania when their boat was seized on 23 October. They have since spoken to British media by telephone and have described their captors as "very hospitable people", saying they were both "safe" and "healthy".

The policy of the UK government is to not pay ransoms in these situations and the Foreign Office has not said what its next steps will be.

Attacks continue off the coast of Somalia and the Captain of a Spanish tuna trawler said Saturday that his vessel had escaped capture. Captain Ion Fontela said however that currently "all boats navigating the Indian Ocean are a target for the pirates".