MAE confirms kidnapping of Romanian seaman from Swiss-flagged ship, activates Crisis Cell

The Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) confirmed on Sunday the kidnapping of a Romanian seaman in the attack against the Swiss-flagged ship, seaward of the Nigerian waters. 

"The Foreign Affairs Ministry, through Romania's Embassy in Bern and Romania's Embassy in Abuja, is focusing on the events related to the incident that has occurred seaward of the the Nigeria waters on 22 September 2018, in which a Swiss-flagged ship was involved," MAE specifies. 

According to the quoted source, the representatives of the two diplomatic missions have carried out demarches, as a matter of urgency, with the local authorities in order to obtain information regarding the existence of Romanian nationals among the people affected. 

"Out of the information obtained from the Swiss authorities, it was confirmed that among the members of the kidnapped crew there is a Romanian citizen. Romania's Embassy in Bern maintains permanent contact with the Swiss MAE Crisis Cell and Romania's Embassy in Abuja, with the competent Nigerian authorities for other pieces of information of interest in view of solving the case," MAE's briefing says. 

The MAE's Crisis Cell was activated at the request of the Foreign Affairs Minister, Teodor Melescanu. He is monitoring as a matter of priority the situation and is in permanent contact with the local authorities and the shipowner, MAE mentions. 

A Swiss-flagged ship was attacked seaward of the Nigeria waters on Sunday announced the Foreign Ministry in Bern; the press informs that 12 of the 19 crew members have been kidnapped, AFP reports. On Sunday, the maritime authority in Nigeria specified the nationalities of the kidnapped seamen: seven are from the Philippines, and one from Slovenia, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, respectively.