Working Conditions Aboard the Yuan-Xiang

The long-awaited release of the 'Yuan Xiang' has been officially confirmed by EU NAVFOR, following announcements from Chinese diplomatic channels and the ship's owner. The vessel and its crew were held captive for a staggering 207 days after being hijacked. Initially captured at Xabo (Habo) along the Gulf of Aden, the ship navigated around the Horn of Africa into the Indian Ocean, where it was detained off Dhanane, near Garacad on the northeastern coastline of Somalia. Subsequently, the 'Yuan Xiang' was moved to Ceel Caduur, positioned north of Hobyo on Somalia’s central Indian Ocean coast. A previous attempt to secure the ship's release was thwarted when Somali authorities in Mogadishu intervened, seizing two aircraft, six foreign nationals, and US$3.6 million in cash, allegedly intended as ransom for the vessel and its crew. Fortunately, after months of tension, all crewmembers are now reported to be safe.

The Chinese general cargo ship Yuan Xiang, identified by IMO number 7609192, has reportedly been released and is now on its way to safer waters. This significant development was communicated by a pirate through a phone call to Reuters on June 8, a statement later corroborated by multiple sources. If a ransom was indeed exchanged, estimates suggest it amounted to approximately $3.6 million. The release process had faced setbacks, particularly on May 24, 2011, when Somali authorities intercepted two aircraft believed to be transporting the ransom money, alongside six foreign nationals. Somali officials initially thought this was an orchestrated attempt to facilitate the release of hostage vessels and their crews. Despite the situation around Yuan Xiang improving, confirmation of the ransom or the circumstances of the release remains elusive from both naval forces and the vessel's management team. Intriguingly, two different vessels are associated with the IMO number 7609192: the tug Oceanus and the general cargo ship Yuan Xiang. While Equasis catalogs the vessel as a Chinese freighter, tracking services such as Vesseltracker.com and Marinetraffic.com list it as a tug boat. The Yuan Xiang was hijacked on November 12, 2010, while navigating through coordinates 18° 02.55' N and 66° 04.39' E, bound for Fujarah, UAE. The ship carries a crew of 29, all of whom are Chinese nationals. Built in 1978, the Yuan Xiang has a deadweight tonnage of 22,356 and sails under the flag of Panama, owned by Hongyuan Marine Co. Ltd.