Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Somali pirates have sharply increased their ransom demand to $10 million for the release of the M/T Eureka, an oil tanker hijacked earlier this month in waters off Yemen and now held near Somalia’s Puntland coast with eight Egyptian sailors among the crew.
The escalation marks a dramatic shift in negotiations that began at roughly $3 million, underscoring the volatility of a piracy case unfolding along one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors.
Hijack in High-Risk Waters
The tanker, a Togo-flagged vessel carrying about 2,800 tonnes of diesel, was seized on May 2 near Yemen’s Shabwa Governorate before being diverted into Somali territorial waters.
The crew includes Egyptian and Indian nationals, turning the incident into a multi-country hostage situation amid renewed piracy activity across the Gulf of Aden.
Pressure Inside the Vessel
Accounts from relatives of crew members describe deteriorating conditions onboard, including tighter armed control of the vessel and restricted access to basic supplies.
Family members of engineer Mohamed Radi said he was able to briefly communicate that armed presence had increased significantly since the hijacking, while food and water supplies had been reduced.
Failed Negotiations Trigger Price Surge
According to families familiar with the talks, initial attempts at negotiation were conducted quietly to allow the ship’s operating company, reportedly based in the UAE, time to respond.
When the company declined to meet the initial ransom demand, the pirates escalated their price to $10 million, reflecting what analysts describe as a familiar pattern in Somali piracy cases where leverage increases as talks stall.
Piracy Returns to a Fragile Corridor
The Gulf of Aden and surrounding waters have seen a renewed wave of piracy incidents during 2026, driven by worsening economic conditions along Somalia’s coast and broader instability affecting Red Sea shipping routes.
Security analysts warn that disruptions in regional naval coordination and increased maritime traffic rerouting have created new gaps exploited by armed groups operating from Somalia’s coastline.
Egypt Engages Diplomatically
Cairo has confirmed it is monitoring the situation closely. Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has tasked its embassy in Mogadishu with coordinating efforts to secure the release of the sailors in cooperation with Somali authorities.
The case is now emerging as both a humanitarian concern and a maritime security test for a region already under pressure from overlapping geopolitical crises.
