By Patrick Beja
Two stranded Pakistani sailors left Mombasa to Karachi via Nairobi on Sunday after months of agony in the hands of pirates.
The sailors, Mr Mohamed Musa Daudi Zada and Mr Dosh Mohamed Ahmed, were on board the Iranian fishing vessel Al Sajad which was hijacked by Somali pirates in August, last year.
They were hijacked while on a fishing trip in the Indian Ocean and have been living at the Port Police Station in Mombasa since March when they were rescued from their captors.
“Their vessel was then used by pirates as a mother ship for five months before it was rescued by the Royal Danish Navy in February,” said Mr Andrew Mwangura, secretary of the Seafarers Solidarity Consultative Forum.
The vessel was hijacked by pirates along with her 18-crew members comprising of seven Pakistanis and 11 Iranians.
Two crew-members were shot dead after squads from the Danish Frigate Absalon intercepted their fishing dhow in late February.
Pirates captured
The abandoned seafarers were assisted by the Mombasa Port Chaplain Rev Michael Sparrow of the Missions to Seafarers, friends of seafarers and other well wishers.
Mr Mwangura who is also secretary of the Seafarers Assistance Programme said the owner of the vessel Mr Haji Sultanpur had confirmed the two were his employees and have families in Iran and Pakistan.
The 14 other crew-members were repatriated to Iran and Pakistan by the Iranian embassy and the Pakistan High Commission in Nairobi but the two were left behind as there was some confusion about their identity.
Initially, it was reported that the mariners had been killed by pirates.
