Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to persuade Eritrea to release six Sri Lankan Sea Marshals (armed maritime security personnel) taken into custody on 07 Nov., 2024. They had been arrested in Eritrean waters, sources familiar with the ongoing negotiations told The Island.
Sri Lankans, employed by Azerbaijani company Caspian Marine Service B.V., were among the 24-member crew of three Azerbaijan flagged tugboats intercepted for entering Eritrean waters. Sources said that tugboats had to be diverted due to adverse weather and Eritrea released and repatriated all 18 Azerbaijan crew in late March.
Eritrea shares borders with Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti. Sri Lanka doesn’t have a mission in Eritrea.
Sources revealed that the Sri Lankans identification papers had been confiscated, along with communication devices. They were identified as A. G. P. N. K Atapattu, W. M. L. Piyasena, A. L. M. Haleem, L. M. S. K. Lankanayaka, K.C. P. Thilakaratne and P. W. K. C. S. Pathiraja. Except for Atapattu who had served the Army the rest were ex-Navy.
The deployment of six Sea Marshals, whose exact whereabouts remain unclear, has been done via Seagull Maritime PMSC, with Freightplan (Pvt.) Ltd., acting as the local agent.
Sources said that there had been a host of meetings at different levels, including virtual ones, to explore ways and means of securing their release. “We are really concerned over the release of a section of the crew and continuous detention of Sri Lankan personnel,” a well informed source said, revealing they also sought the assistance of Sri Lanka Red Cross to establish the exact whereabouts of the men.
The pensions of ex-naval personnel had been suspended here following the detention, thereby causing immense hardships to their families.
The Sri Lankan Embassy in Cairo, which is the accredited mission to Eritrea, has formally requested access to the detained men, while the SL mission in Ethiopia sought Azerbaijani help to push Eritrean authorities. However, Sri Lanka has so far failed to convince Eritrea to release the six captives.
Sources said the government should seriously consider seeking the intervention of the UN Working Group of Arbitrary Detention (UNWGAD) to compel Eritrea to respond.
Responding to The Island queries, sources said that the issue was that despite their long detention Eritrea hadn’t formally charged the Sri Lankans and the absence in clarity regarding the legal process in respect of the detained men. Sources said that the Sri Lankan Foreign Ministry engagement, through its Embassy in Cairo, with Eritrean diplomatic staff there, was extensive.
Minister Vijitha Herath is expected to contact his Eritrean counterpart in this regard. The Foreign Ministry has sought the Defence Ministry’s intervention to take appropriate measures to ensure Caspian Marine Service B.V. provide the required legal and welfare support to the detained sea marshals, in addition to securing a detailed report concerning the measures taken, so far, to look after their interests.
Sources said that the incident highlighted the absence of a dedicated mechanism in case of citizens detained overseas under controversial circumstances. The families of the detained men, too, have appealed to the Eritrean authorities and the clergy.
by Shamindra Ferdinando 