Egypt urges continued Somali efforts to expedite release of kidnapped sailors

CAIRO – 19 July 2026: Egypt on Sunday renewed its request for Somalia to continue efforts to expedite the release of Egyptian sailors held since their vessel was hijacked months ago.

In a meeting in Cairo with Somalia’s Foreign Minister Abdisalam Ali, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty stressed the importance of ensuring the safety and security of the abducted sailors.

He called for continuing Somalia’s active engagement in resolving the crisis, urging the authorities in Somalia to work toward freeing the Egyptian citizens.

Egypt is currently working to recover eight Egyptian sailors who were kidnapped during their work on the oil tanker MT Eureka as it sailed near the Yemeni coast a few months ago.

The vessel was then steered across the Gulf of Aden toward the Puntland region of Somalia, according to reports.

The sailors’ families have continued to appeal to Egyptian authorities and relevant stakeholders for swift action, amid growing fears about the impact of the continued detention on the sailors’ conditions.

Reports indicate that the tanker was traveling to transport a fuel cargo when armed men, believed to be Somali pirates, intercepted the vessel, seized control, and took it toward locations near the Somali coastline.

Some reports also pointed to financial demands related to the release of both the ship and its crew.

Late June, the Marine Officers Union said the kidnappers issued “short and angry statements” demanding the quick payment of a ransom, which the union’s head had previously put at $2.25 million in comments to Sky News.

The syndicate added that the pirates fear conducting limited military action against them by those attempting to break the standoff, due to ongoing security sweeps in the area where the ship is being held.

In its statement, the union said that the release process now hinges on one remaining step: the transfer and handover of the agreed ransom, involving the vessel’s Yemeni owner and the kidnappers, in a way that would ensure the release of the ship and the abducted crew.

In May, Egypt stressed the need to secure the sailors’ release as soon as possible while ensuring their safety, and to maintain Somalia’s involvement in resolving the issue.

At the time, the Somali ambassador to Egypt highlighted ongoing efforts and high-level contacts being pursued to bring about their freedom.

On July 8, Egypt’s foreign minister discussed with his Yemeni counterpart the latest developments concerning efforts to release the sailors, given that the vessel’s owner is Yemeni.

The two ministers stressed their commitment to exerting all efforts to expedite the release of the abducted sailors and ensure their safety.