The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives announced yesterday that talks are ongoing regarding the release of two vessels of Fuel Supply Maldives (FSM). These vessels were seized by Eritrea during their inaugural journey from Egypt, where they were built.
Among the four barges ordered by Fuel Supply Maldives (FSM) in 2019, two barges arrived in the Maldives last year. on April 26th, due to adverse weather conditions, the barges entered an Eritrean port without permission and were subsequently seized by Eritrean port authorities
Mohamed Gasam, the managing director of FSM, stated that the crew members were unable to establish contact with Eritrean port authorities prior to their entry into the port. He further noted that the process has been slow because Maldives does not maintain diplomatic relations with Eritrea.
“The only response we have received from our efforts so far [from Eritrean authorities] is that Egyptian sailors on board the barge are being sent to Egypt and Maldivian crew is being sent to Maldives,” Gasam
The crew members, including two local captains and two local engineers, were rescued and safely brought to the Maldives safely. The Egyptian sailors who were on board were also repatriated to Egypt earlier this month.
FSM has reportedly hired an Eritrean law firm to resolve the issues and release the vessels. Additionally, the company could not send their official to Eritrea. FSM is now working with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to release the vessel.Â
The two barges have a capacity of up to 180,000 liters of diesel and 40,000 to 60,000 liters of petrol. Another barge owned by a Maldivian company is also reportedly held at the Eritrean port. FSM plans to replace its smaller barges with larger vessels.Â
