Ministry Acted Swiftly to Rescue Four Indonesian Citizens held Captive by Somali Pirates

Jakarta: The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs acted swiftly to rescue four Indonesian citizens held captive by pirates in Somali waters.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi, continues to coordinate intensively with all relevant parties in Somalia regarding the reported hijacking of the MT Honor 25 vessel that occurred in the waters around Hafun, Somalia on April 22, 2026," said Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang to Metrotvnews.com on Monday, April 27, 2026.

Mewengkang stated that, based on information obtained to date, the vessel was crewed by four Indonesian crew members, 10 Pakistani citizens, one Indian citizen, and one Myanmar citizen.

"Current efforts are focused on follow-up actions involving local government authorities, community leaders, and the perpetrators involved," Mewengkang said.

Yvonne further added that the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi will continue to closely monitor the situation through intensive, measured coordination with all relevant parties to ensure optimal handling while prioritizing the safety of the Indonesian crew members.

Family Requests Assistance

Previously, the victim's family urged President Prabowo Subianto to address the case immediately.

"I ask for help from Mr. Prabowo, please help my son. My son is currently begging for help from Mr. Prabowo," said Sitti Aminah, the mother of Captain of the Honor Ashari Samadikun, in Gowa Regency, South Sulawesi, on Sunday.

She hopes the Indonesian government, through the president, will address the incident by paying attention to the hijacking of the oil-carrying vessel sailing from Oman to Somali waters.

"I've been holding off Somali pirates for several days now," he said, his voice filled with hope.

Meanwhile, the victim's wife, Santi Sanjaya (26), recounted the moments when Somali pirates hijacked her husband and the crew. She had communicated via video call on Tuesday, April 20, 2026, at around 7:30 PM WITA before the incident. The victim had mentioned that pirates would attack his ship.

Although communication was cut off, she tried to call back, and his phone was still active, but there was no response. The atmosphere felt tense, so she decided to call back.

"His phone was still active, but he didn't respond. After a few hours, his phone went dead again. Then, the last time I had a video call with him was last night, and he said he was fine on the ship," she explained.

However, she said the situation on board the ship often fluctuated. Sometimes she felt threatened by the pirates, and the situation became tense again, affecting her psychological well-being and the initial safety of the ship.

"My husband also asked for help; hopefully, the government will help. "We, the family, also hope the government can help them return home safely," she said hopefully.

Santi said that since January 2026, the tanker had been carrying her husband as captain. She planned to see her contract expire after the ship arrived at its destination. She then planned to return to Gowa, South Sulawesi, Indonesia, from Somalia after her workplace permitted her to return.