The residents of Borollos in Kafr el-Sheikh, together with 6 human rights organizations, have, the day before yesterday, sent an SOS to President Mubarak, asking him to intervene and end the crisis of the 38 fishermen that have been hijacked by Somali pirates since March 27. The SOS, of which Al-Masry Al-Youm obtained a copy, asked the President to live up to his responsibility of protecting the safety of the citizens and protecting national sovereignty, which has repeatedly been violated in the recent period by the frequent kidnapping of Egyptians, especially fishermen.
It said 38 fishermen from Borollos and Ezbet el-Borg in Damietta were abducted on board the ships 'Samara' and 'Momtaz 1', yet no solution with the pirates has been reached so far. All attempts by their families to know how they are doing have failed. Also they failed to persuade the State organs to carry out their responsibilities vis-à-vis the crisis.
It read: "We ask you in your capacity as President of the Republic to move and order the State organs to deal seriously with the issue of the fishermen kidnapped in Somalia, as they are still Egyptian citizens and they have not yet been killed," noting that they are not only asking for the return of the abductees, but they also want to preserve national security and the image of Egypt as a country able to protect its territories and its sons. Mohamed Abdallah el-Nahas, a resident, said that following the kidnapping, they contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that told them it is negotiating with the pirates. Then they have been calling the office of Ambassador Ahmed Rizk, Assistant Foreign Minister for Consular Affairs and Egyptians abroad, for the past three months only to be told each time that he is in a meeting. This made them protest in front of Parliament last month against neglecting the crisis. Then 1200 people signed the SOS that was sent to the President, noting that the pirates periodically call the families of the abductees and the owner of 'Samara' and threaten to kill the fishermen. Nahas said that Zaki Ahmed Abdin, the governor of Kafr el-Sheikh, promised the families of the abductees to give them each 1000 pounds at the beginning of every month. He only met his promise once in April before the TV cameras inside the headquarters of the governorate, where an official gave it to them, as the governor was busy in a meeting.
He noted that no one knows what the anger of the people may lead to after they have exhausted all avenues with the State. They may demonstrate in front of the presidential palace in an escalation of their protests in the event the crisis continues, as they do not have the $5 million ransom demanded by the pirates for the release of their relatives.
