Harsh Reality
A seafarer, Sanauddin Baloch, has spoken of his time in captivity onboard “Rak Afrikana”.
During his captivity he lost 20 kilograms, he suffered mental, physical and emotional torture.
The ordeal was not an isolated one, as others were suffering terribly at the hands of the pirates. The ship’s cook fell ill and died. “Because there was no refrigeration, we could not keep the body and had to bury him in the sea,” Baloch said. The ship’s captain, died after suffering a brain haemorrhage a month after his release.
In no way can piracy be condoned anywhere in the world. One thing that at least most politicians agree on is that to defeat it, it must be done so ashore. Yet there is little political will in doing so. Meantime many navies of the world gain hands on experience in surveillance techniques a huge expense to the taxpayers who support them because it suits the politicians lacking the will to act decisively to do so.
From the item, there is a very clear need to properly prepare seafarers and their families of what to expect in a hostage situation. It will never totally prepare them however it will provide an understanding of “how the game is played.”