The two Georgian sailors kidnapped in early May by pirates off the coast of Gabon were released today, Georgia announced.
Georgian diplomatic spokeswoman Mari Nartchemashvili told the press that the two Georgian seafarers were released thanks to the efforts of the Georgian Foreign Ministry, the Georgian Embassy in South Africa, and the Georgian Maritime Transport Agency, recalling that the seafarers were kidnapped on 02 May, when pirates attacked their boat, the Grebe Bulker.
The ship, which belongs to the American shipping company Eagle Bulk Shipping Inc, was attacked while it was less than 8 km off the coast of the Gabonese commercial port of Owendo.
Ms Nartchemashvili stressed that the seafarers had been released “in satisfactory condition” without giving details of the conditions of their release, or the fate of the Russian captain who was also abducted.
The waters of the Gulf of Guinea have always been considered the epicenter of global maritime piracy over the past decade. It is often the scene of attacks by pirates who take their hostages and often release them in Nigeria for ransom.
However, despite these attacks, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia announced in January that global piracy in 2022 was at its lowest level since 1992, including in the Gulf of Guinea.