IN a concerning development, two Russian sailors held in the Mozambique port of Maputo are now revealed to be financial hostages amid a dispute between the ship’s owner and a local agent company. Russia’s foreign ministry, speaking to the state RIA news agency on Sunday, shed light on the situation, exposing the sailors’ predicament.
The vessel at the centre of the dispute is the Cameroon-flagged fishing boat Volopas, as reported by Russia’s SHOT news outlet on its Telegram channel last week. The distressing revelation indicates that two Russians, along with a Lithuanian and two Ukrainians, have been confined on board the Volopas for an alarming eight months.
According to statements from Russia’s foreign ministry to RIA, the sailors are unwittingly caught up in a financial and property dispute between the ship-owning company and a local agent company. The ministry emphasised that the sailors have become hostages to the ongoing legal and financial wrangling between these entities.
Despite diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation and secure the release of the sailors, success has proven elusive thus far. The foreign ministry acknowledged that ongoing negotiations have not yielded the desired outcome, leaving the fate of the sailors hanging in the balance.
The plight of the Russian sailors highlights the complex and challenging nature of maritime disputes, with legal intricacies affecting the lives of those caught in the crossfire. As diplomatic initiatives continue, the international community watches closely, hoping for a swift and just resolution that ensures the well-being and freedom of the sailors involved.