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Three Russians among kidnapped seamen from vessel in Cameroon — Foreign Ministry

Cameroonian officials and representatives of the ship-owner company are currently investigating the incident

Russian Foreign Ministry Roman Kanashuk/TASS

Russian Foreign Ministry

© Roman Kanashuk/TASS

MOSCOW, August 16. /TASS/. Three Russian citizens form part of the crew of the vessel that has been attacked in Cameroon on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry informed.

"Based on the incoming information, on August 15, near the port of Douala (the Republic of Cameroon), unknown perpetrators attacked a cargo vessel "Marmalaita" belonging to the Danish company Ultrabulk, sailing under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda. According to the recruiting agency Marlow Navigation Russia, located in St. Petersburg, the attackers kidnapped eight members of the crew, among them three citizens of the Russian Federation," the ministry informed.

According to the Russian Embassy in Yaounde, Cameroonian officials and representatives of the ship-owner company are currently investigating the incident. Russian diplomats actively cooperate with Cameroonian government bodies and ship-owners in order to ensure the soonest release of Russian citizens, the ministry added.

On Thursday, the AFP agency reported, citing a Cameroon’s Navy source, that unknown perpetrators had abducted seamen from a vessel near the port of Douala. According to the source, "the kidnappers are probably Nigerian pirates."

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