Mogadishu (WDN) – Deep concern is mounting over the fate of 12 crew members held aboard a hijacked oil tanker off the coast of Somalia after their families revealed that the armed captors have issued new threats amid a dispute over ransom payments.
Relatives of the hostages say negotiations for their release remain ongoing but have entered a dangerous phase as disagreements over the transfer of ransom money threaten to derail an earlier agreement. The crew, consisting of eight Egyptian nationals and four Indian citizens, is reportedly enduring increasingly difficult conditions as tensions escalate between the vessel’s owners and the hijackers.
Family members disclosed that a ransom settlement had previously been reached, raising hopes that the months-long ordeal was nearing an end. However, delays in transferring the agreed funds reportedly prevented the deal from being implemented on schedule, triggering anger among the armed group and setting off a fresh wave of threats.
According to relatives, the hijackers have warned that they will take further measures if payment is not completed immediately. In a particularly alarming development, they reportedly threatened to move some of the hostages to remote locations in an effort to intensify pressure on the ship’s owners and negotiators.
The threats have sent shockwaves through the families of the detained sailors, who fear that the collapse of the ransom agreement could place their loved ones at even greater risk.
Meanwhile, the Egyptian government has confirmed that it is closely monitoring the crisis. Egypt’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is working through its embassy in Mogadishu and coordinating with Somali authorities and relevant agencies to secure the release of the crew and bring the standoff to a peaceful conclusion.
The situation reportedly deteriorated after the vessel’s owner requested additional time to complete the ransom payment. The hijackers are said to have rejected the request outright, insisting that the agreement be honored within the original timeframe.
Maritime security experts note that such threats are often employed as psychological pressure tactics designed to accelerate negotiations and force the payment of ransom demands. However, they caution that the latest warnings underscore the fragile and unpredictable nature of hostage situations at sea.
Experts have also observed that the group responsible for the hijacking does not appear to possess the level of sophistication once associated with the highly organized pirate networks that terrorized shipping lanes off Somalia’s coast during the height of the piracy crisis more than a decade ago.
Captain Sayid Al-Shadhali, head of Egypt’s Seafarers Officers Association, described the threats as part of a pressure campaign aimed at influencing ongoing negotiations. While current information does not suggest an immediate threat to the lives of the hostages, he stressed that the situation remains highly sensitive and requires an urgent resolution.
The incident has reignited fears about the re-emergence of maritime hijackings along one of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors. The return of such attacks has raised serious questions about the security of commercial vessels operating in the Horn of Africa and the safety of the thousands of seafarers who transit the region each year.
As negotiations continue, the families of the captive crew members are left anxiously waiting, fearing that every delay could bring the crisis closer to a tragic and unpredictable outcome.
WardheerNews