A Week of the Hijacking of 4 Indonesians by Somali Pirates: Seeking a Way Home in the Complexity of the Case

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - One week after the tanker hijacking incident in Somali waters, four Indonesian citizens (WNI) remain in pirate captivity. The Indonesian government continues to work on coordination efforts to ensure the safety of the victims. In this incident, a sailor from South Sulawesi, Captain Ashari Samadikun (33), is one of the hostages. The Makassar Shipping Science Polytechnic (PIP) alumnus was taken hostage while captaining the UAE-flagged tanker Honour 25 since 21 April 2026. Of the total, four are Indonesians. The four Indonesians are Ashari Samadikun (captain), Wahudinanto (chief officer), Adi Faizal (third officer), and Fiki Mutakin. The other crew consist of 10 Pakistanis, as well as one each from Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and India. The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kemlu) has assured intensive coordination to handle the hijacking case of the MT Honour 25 tanker in waters around Hafun, Somalia. Director of WNI Protection at Kemlu RI, Heni Hamidah, said that the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi has been communicating with various related parties in Somalia since the incident on Wednesday (22/4/2026). “The Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi continues to conduct intensive coordination with all related parties in Somalia,” said Heni, quoted by ANTARA Jakarta, Monday (27/4/2026). These efforts are being made to ensure the safety of the ship’s crew, especially the Indonesians. Kemlu also emphasised that it will continue to monitor the situation developments closely through measured coordination so that the handling process runs optimally. Middle East Politics Expert from the University of Indonesia, Yon Machmudi, assesses that this hostage case is quite complicated.