Govt. seeks info on sailor abducted along with 16 others off Somali coast in April

Sri Lanka is requesting assistance from Somalia to locate a Sri Lankan sailor who was kidnapped on April 21 this year. He was part of a crew of 17 aboard the oil tanker Honour 25, which was seized near the Somali coast. The crew included 10 Pakistanis, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan, and one individual from Myanmar. Recently, Nirmala Paranavitana, Sri Lanka's Ambassador-designate, met with Abdullahi Mohamed Warfa, Somalia's Ambassador to the Federal Republic, in Addis Ababa. They discussed ways to work together, particularly regarding consular support related to the hijacking in the Puntland maritime area. The Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka stated that the incident took place in a complicated maritime situation, and verifying the current status of the ship and its crew is ongoing. Sri Lanka thanked Somali authorities for their continued support and asked for more help in connecting with the relevant institutions to ensure a safe and timely resolution of the situation. Somali officials confirmed their willingness to assist and coordinate with the necessary national and regional bodies.