The hearts of Five families at least in Qusaier in Hadramout governorate ad tens or say hundreds of relatives and friends are still beating with the sea waves. Their eyes are still looking into the enormous oceans and seas, hopping that the worm tides one day would bring to them the good news of the comeback of their five-year-lost fellows. They long to listen to their missed voices and touch with their shocking fingers the features of their brown faces after a long period of unbearable separation.
The Beginning of the Disaster
The sailors Awad Mabrook Ba-abbad , Humeid Ali bin Sahib, Ahmad Saleh Alyazidi and Saad Masood Alyazidi have been kidnapped by the Somalian pirates in 21st April 2012 when they were in the regional waters in Fartak, Nashtoon. 17 sailrs have been released at once but other four ones were taken in Alabbass ( the boat owned by the sailor Abu-bakeir Salim Baabbad) as hostages. Since that coursed date the owner of the boat took on his shoulder the responsibility of following up the case of the four kidnapped sailors. He went to the ministry of fisheries , the ministry of interiors and the ministry of foreign affairs. He traveled to the UAE where he contacted the embassy of the Republic of Seychelles after receiving news that the sailors are in the island, but the reply was negative as he was informed that there were no Yemeni kidnapped sailors in their territories. After a short period of time he received semi-confirmed information that the sailors he is looking for are detained in a French base belonging to the French army in the same island. He did his utmost to reach them but his efforts were in vain. Even the letter of the Yemeni embassy to the embassy of Republic of Seychelles to issue him permission to get into to Seychelles and to facilitate his mission of searching for the sailors was rejected
Back to Sana’a
After that Baabbad came back to Sanaa to issue an official letter to the minister of the ministry of fisheries, Mr. Awad Alssuqatri to ask him to interfere in the case. The minister then issued a letter addressing the minister of foreign affairs; Mr. Abu Bakir Alqurbi who in turn issued a letter to the French embassy in order to detect about the four lost sailors in one of its bases in Seychelles
On the 10th of April the same year the French reply came determining that there are no any Yemeni sailors detained with their troops in the country of Seychelles. the French letter of reply included just only justifications to eliminate any suspicion about the availability of the four sailors in their base. Firstly, they mentioned that the boat (Alabbass) was victimized and have been released by an Italian ship on December 2011. They also denied 15 piracy operations in January 2012. Secondly, they confirmed that their troops in Seychelles are mandated to detain any ship and all on board individuals. They added that because they respect the sovereignty of the republic of Seychelles as an independent country they inquired about the lost sailors who in turn said that they don’t have any information respecting the kidnapped sailors
Misinformation Letter
The French reply regarding the kidnapping incident contained incorrect dates which refer to dates earlier than the actual date this action bush towards two possibilities. Either they have updates about the place of detainment of the sailors and they are not ready to collaborate to release them, or they took the Yemeni letter with underestimation and carelessness and their reply didn’t add up
The French misinformation letter gave a bush to continue investigating about the lost sailors. An emirates businessman related on the authority of a French officer his confirmation that the kidnapped sailors are available in the republic of Seychelles in a French-controlled base. At once Baabbad decided to stop searching for the sailors after being sure that they would close the case and imediately informed the Yemeni side about his decision via the Yemeni embassy in the UAE. Baabbad inferred that they were to freeze the case after being notified by the Yemeni embassy that the reply of the ministry of foreign affairs of Seychelles to their letter confirmed unavailability of any Yemeni sailors on their island nor on any French military base there
Strong satisfaction
Baabbad was very sure that the four sailors are still alive after a contact with a French officer who identified them by their photos and confirmed that they are in Seychelles republic. The third man in the French embassy in the UAE promised that the French will give the case more concern as a humanitarian issue. But he didn’t keep his promise up to now since a couple of years. It seems that the war and its dramatic consequences led to neglecting the case entirely. The Yemeni people either blocked in the country or paused outside, but the kidnapped sailors destiny is still unknown a thing that People are still waiting to uncover this issue which may happen via a serious diplomatic intervention which can be led by the UAE government because it has a good relationship with France. Also because of the details they have already got about the issue. From the other hand, the Yemeni government was very weak and unable to defend those sailors who are considered as citizens but fortunately only by official papers and documents
fresh issue
Our condolence is that the case will still be alive as there are many things will continue to remind us with these sailors; the boat owner Mr. Abo bakir Baabbad, the chairman of the Qussaier fishermen association, Mr Abdulla Saeed Sadeen, the well-known songster: Mr. Awad bin Sahib who provided us with the necessary documents to follow the case internally and externally. Finally The four sailors didn’t sail to look for treasures, but they sail to secure their families and relatives’ food who are still waiting for them to come back safely one day
