British couple ransom demand could be lowered

Rachel and Paul Chandler, the British pair that were taken hostage by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean 11 days ago, might have something to look forward to after a negotiator said the ransom demand might drop significantly. A coordinator for the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme told a UK newspaper that he has spoken with one of the captors and they have now realised that the Chandlers are not rich people. Andrew Mwangura thinks that the pirates could take a smaller amount closer to maybe £100,000 for the release of the pair.

The British Government has already stated quite clearly that they will not pay for the release of the couple from Kent as they do not pay ransom demands. The British Government does however want to secure the release of the pair as do their family so there maybe an agreement that can happen to please all parties involved. Negotiations for the release of the Chandlers, who were heading to Tanzania from the Seychelles, could take weeks to complete. Mrs Chandler spoke for the first time since their capture this week and in an emotional statement to the press, she asked their family not to worry as they were be looked after and the pirates were being quite hospitable toward them.

This latest kidnapping is the latest in a long line to plague the east coast of Africa. Many ships have been taken over the past few year and they are usually larger container ships with companies willing to pay ransom demands to get their employees back safely.