* Pair abducted by pirates, held for 20 months
* Release followed negotiation, unclear if ransom paid
* Couple left Somalia for Djibouti
(Adds details, background)
MOGADISHU, June 21 (Reuters) – A South African couple
kidnapped by Somali pirates 20 months ago aboard a yacht in the
Indian Ocean have been freed and flew out of Somalia on
Thursday.
Looking thin and stressed, one of the sailors, Bruno
Pelizzari, told reporters the release followed a negotiated
settlement. He did not say if a ransom had been paid.
“Today we are happy to get our freedom back,” Pelizzari said
at the presidential palace complex in the Somali capital
Mogadishu.
Pelizzari and his companion Debbie Calitz later left the
Horn of Africa nation for Djibouti, two sources in the Somali
prime minister’s office said.
The South African government thanked the Somali government
and Italy for their roles in securing the release of the couple.
It did not give any details about the roles played.
Armed pirates hijacked the yacht Choizil in October 2010 as
it was about to enter the Mozambique channel south of the
Tanzanian port city of Dar es Salaam.
Continued…
