RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta – Indonesia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has provided the latest update regarding the hijacking of a vessel in the waters off Hafun, Somalia, involving four Indonesian nationals working as crew members. Director for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Ministry, Heni Hamidah, said the government, through the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi, continues to coordinate intensively with relevant parties in Somalia to follow up on the hijacking of the MT ANER 25, which occurred on April 22, 2026.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi, continues to coordinate intensively with all relevant parties in Somalia to follow up on reports of the hijacking of MT ANER 25 in waters near Hafun,” Heni said during a press briefing in Jakarta on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

According to her, current efforts are focused on coordination with local authorities, community leaders, and relevant business actors to ensure the safety of all crew members. She added that the handling process is still ongoing, with the safety of the Indonesian crew as the top priority, and therefore certain details cannot yet be disclosed to the public.

“The process is still ongoing so as not to affect the handling efforts currently underway,” she said.

The ministry is also strengthening preventive measures by enhancing coordination with relevant stakeholders domestically, particularly in improving data collection on Indonesians working abroad. “Data collection is crucial to ensure protection in the event of issues affecting Indonesian nationals overseas,” Heni noted.

In addition, the ministry is optimizing cooperation forums, both bilateral and multilateral, and encouraging the use of official procedures for Indonesians working abroad to minimize the risk of similar incidents in the future. The hijacking incident occurred on Tuesday night, April 21, 2026, when the vessel, captained by Ashari Samadikun, was sailing from Oman to Somalia, as reported by BBC on April 28, 2026.

The MT Honour 25 was carrying a total of 17 crew members from various countries, including four Indonesians. Families of the victims are hoping for strong intervention from the Indonesian government so that all crew members can be safely freed and repatriated.