France News

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says The Ponant crew are free

Friday, 11 April 2008

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says The Ponant crew are free

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that the crew of The Ponant luxury yacht captured by Somali pirates have all been released with no problems reported.

President Nicolas Sarkozy was grateful to the French military for their role in gaining the release of the 30 hostages on board The Ponant, which was seized by the pirates in the Gulf of Aden last Friday.

Nicolas Sarkozy said in a statement: "The president expresses his deep gratitude to the French armed forces and all the state services which enabled a rapid and peaceful solution to this hostage-taking."

The Ponant had been returning to the Mediterranean from the Seychelles when the pirates captured it.

Somali coastal waters are known to be among the most risky for this sort of danger in the whole world and pirates there took over 25 ships last year alone.

Comment on this article