Rachel Chandler hit by a bullet, Pirates told Somaliland MP

Somaliland Today- The so-called spokesman for the Somali pirates that kidnapped the British couple confirmed to Ahmed Mohamed Diriye, an MP from the breakaway republic of Somaliland that Rachel Chandler had been hit by a bullet.

The spokesman, Ali Gedow, told Mr. Diriye today at 4.30pm (East African Time) that Rachel had been hit by a bullet. He did not give details of how the bullet hit the hostage.

Mr. Diriye told WARYA TV news website by phone that he asked Mr. Gedow whether Rachel was alive or not. However Mr. Gedow could not confirm whether Rachel was alive or not but said he was absolutely certain that a bullet hit Rachel Chandler and that he was on his way to where she was being held captive.

Mr. Diriye who earlier went of his way to make a passionate appeal for the unconditional release of the British couple was receiving string of calls from the captors of British couple who seem to have a great deal of confidence in Mr. Diriye.

Mr. Gedow had few weeks ago arranged for Mr. Diriye to talk to Rachel directly in the presence of the chairman of the upper house of Somaliland parliament, Suleiman Mohamoud Aden, vice-chairman of the Lower House and other Somaliland MPs.

Mr. Diriye who had made contact with the British Embassy in Addis Ababa through its representative in Hargeisa four weeks ago had not received any response up until now.

“ I told them [captors] in no uncertain terms that I have no ransom money to give them and that I had met a wall of silence from the British government,” Mr. Diriye told WARYA TV.

“I appealed to them to unconditionally release the hostages as I have already stated in my earlier appeal,” he added.

Rachel and Paul were kidnapped as they sailed their 38-foot yacht on October 22 last year by Somali pirates.

WARYA TV