Govt Steps Up Response to MT Honour 25 Hijacking, Indonesians Held by Somali Pirates

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Somali pirates have seized the oil tanker MT Honour 25 off the coast of Hafun, Somalia, leaving four Indonesian crew members among those held hostage. The incident has drawn urgent attention from Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry, which says it is working intensively to ensure the safety of the nationals on board.

Director for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Foreign Ministry, Heni Hamidah, confirmed that the government is coordinating closely with Somali authorities, community leaders, and business stakeholders. “The Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi continues to maintain intensive communication with all relevant parties in Somalia,” she said on Monday, April 27, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

The ministry emphasized that all efforts are focused on safeguarding the crew’s security while ensuring the handling process runs effectively. According to information received, the vessel is carrying four Indonesians, along with ten Pakistani nationals, one Indian, and one Myanmar citizen.

The families of the Indonesian crew have appealed directly to the government and President Prabowo Subianto to act swiftly.

Sitti Aminah, mother of Captain Ashari Samadikun, said her son’s vessel had been transporting oil from Oman since the beginning of the year. His wife, Santi Sanjaya, recalled that she was able to communicate with him before the hijacking, when he warned that pirates were preparing to attack.

After reconnecting later, she learned that the crew remained physically unharmed but was under psychological strain as the situation unfolded. She also revealed that the pirates had demanded ransom. ***