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Somali Pirate Hostage Says 'Food Wasn't Bad' And Captors Asked To 'Stay In Touch'

Somali Pirate Hostage Says 'Food Wasn't Bad' And Captors Asked To 'Stay In Touch'

Colin Freeman was kidnapped on his way to the airport and managed to build a rapport with the 'disciplined' captors

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

A journalist who was kidnapped by Somali pirates for six weeks has spoken about the food not being 'that bad' and also revealed how one of the people holding him hostage 'offered to stay in touch by email'.

Colin Freeman and his colleague, José Cendon, were captured while they were investigating on Somalia's piracy problem back in 2008.

As they were driving through the town, a truck of bodyguards 'shot in front' of the vehicle Colin was travelling in and forced him and Jose to get out at gunpoint. Leaving Colin thinking, 'oh s***, we're getting kidnapped'.

The car drove across the desert and then the group walked for a mile before stopping for a Mars bar snack - which shocked the journalist.

After reaching the place where they would be held, it soon became apparent that there was very little to do so they ended up building a bond with their captors.

Colin Freeman in 2009 after being released from captivity.
Str/EPA/Shutterstock

Despite not being able to speak Somali and the kidnappers not speaking English, Colin claims that he never felt like he was going to die and was treated relatively well.

He didn't even have any complaints about the grub, telling MyLondon: "The food wasn't bad actually. (They ate goat) pretty much for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

"It was a bit monotonous and it wasn't the tastiest food, but it was solid, fair, and there was always plenty of it."

He also wasn't all that repulsed by the Somali tea which was regularly passed over. Colin explained how that was served with six spoonfuls of sugar.

Man Shares How He Escaped After Being Kidnapped By Somali Pirates.
YouTube/LADbible TV

He said: "Boiled water boiled on the campfire, therefore clean. And sugar, therefore energy. It wasn't great for the teeth but it was otherwise okay."

Maybe the niceties would have worn off eventually but after six weeks the pair were freed. That wasn't before one of their captors offered to keep in contact... via email.

Colin said: "It was strange, because it showed that some of them didn't really know what they were doing, and that we'd leave as best mates."

YouTube/LADbible TV

When it came to them being released, Colin and José were told they'd be taken to a rendezvous point elsewhere in the mountains where they'd be met by a group of Somali clan leaders who had agreed to act as go-betweens.

Speaking to UNILAD, he said: "There was about 50 guys there, all armed to the teeth with rocket-propelled grenades, belt-fed machine guns, anti-aircraft guns mounted on the back of pick up trucks. It was a small army."

The kidnappers pointed to a path down to the bottom of the mountain and told him to walk down with his hands up towards the intermediaries.

He continued: "We got down to the bottom and we were handed over and one of these Somali elders in a suit said, 'Welcome, you are now free'."

For the full YouTube video, you can visit out channel LADbible TV.

Featured Image Credit: STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images

Topics: News, Community