Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


British Couple Released by Somali Pirates

   VOA News 14 November 2010
   British  couple  Paul  and  Rachel  Chandler  who were released by the
   Somali pirates speak during a press conference, 14 Nov 2010

Photo: AP

   British  couple  Paul  and  Rachel  Chandler  who were released by the
   Somali  pirates  speak  during  a press conference at the presidential
   palace  in Mogadishu Somalia, 14 Nov 2010, accompanied by Somali prime
   minister Mohamed Abdulahi Mohamed, left and Parliament speaker Sheriff
   Hassan Sheikh Adan , second left.

   Somali  pirates have freed a British couple after holding them captive
   for more than a year.

   Paul  and  Rachel  Chandler were released Sunday in the central Somali
   town of Adado, near the Ethiopian border.

   Paul Chandler told reporters that he and his wife are happy to be free
   but  ready  to  leave Somalia. A plane later took them to the capital,
   Mogadishu, and after a short stop flew on to Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

   Somali  pirates  kidnapped the Chandlers on October 23 last year after
   hijacking  their  yacht  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  near  the Seychelles
   islands.

   The  pirates  had demanded $7 million for their release. Britain has a
   strict policy of not paying any ransoms. However, local elders say the
   pirates  were  paid  $750,000.  There  are reports that Somalis living
   abroad helped to raise the money.

   Last  month,  the  Somali information minister, Abdirahman Omar Osman,
   said  the  continuing  captivity  of the couple was bringing "terrible
   shame" on Somalia.

   Even  with  the  Chandlers'  release, Somali pirates are still holding
   more than 20 ships and nearly 500 hostages.

   The  pirates  have  continued  to  hijack  ships  for  ransom  despite
   international naval patrols in the waters near Somalia.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

.