CAIRO: An Egyptian crew that was held hostage for 10 months by Somali pirates who released them in exchange for a $2.1-million ransom arrived home on Friday, an airport official told AFP.
The 11-member crew thanked Egyptian Foreign Minister Nabil Al-Araby for his efforts in securing their freedom, and criticized the government of ousted president Hosni Mubarak for having neglected them, the official said.
The crew also thanked Pakistan for its help in securing the release of the Egyptian-registered MV Suez, which docked in Oman last week after the ordeal which began in August 2010.
Pakistan worked with Egypt to free the cargo vessel which also had six Indians, four Pakistanis and a Sri Lankan as crew members.
Chief engineer Wael Salah told the official MENA news agency that the crew had endured "all kinds of humiliation by the pirates."
"Thank God I returned home and reunited with my family," he said.
Mechanic Ibrahim Al-Wakeel said he had lost hope of coming back.
"I am now happy I am back with my wife and seven daughters and grandchildren," he told MENA.
The 59-year-old said after the ordeal he would not be able to work again.
MV Suez had been on its way to Eritrea from Pakistan when Somali pirates hijacked the ship as it passed through the Gulf of Aden.
Piracy has surged in recent years off Somalia, a lawless, war-torn country that sits alongside one of the world’s most important shipping routes.
