RI sailors stranded in Kenya

RI sailors stranded in Kenya

JAKARTA: As many as 26 Indonesian sailors have been left
stranded for eight months at Kilindini port near the Kenyan port
city of Mombasa, Indonesian Marine Watch (IMW) reported.

IMW spokesman Gabriel D. Sola told Antara the sailors had been
living without jobs, income and housing, while their employer
refused to bring them home.

"The government, in this case the Ministry of Transportation,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Manpower, need to
take swift action because the sailors have been waiting for a
long time without certainty," Gabriel said.

The sailors worked on MV Jelita, a vessel that flies the
Indonesian flag and belongs to Jakarta-based firm PT Leno
Ownerindo Lines.

Stormy weather left the ship stranded in Somalian waters in
the middle of October last year. It was tugged to Kilindini by a
rescue vessel after its owner agreed on the payment.

But the owner broke his promise, prompting the Mombasa
district court to auction the ship as it was not covered by
insurance.

Gabriel said the Indonesian Embassy in Nairobi has sent three
of the sailors to Jakarta to settle the matter with the shipping
company. -- Antara