Protection Vessels International (PVI)
TesfaNews,
The issue of the four ex-Royal Marine British nationals, who were arrested on late last December in Eritrea, has taken a new turn after the country’s president disclosed some shocking details of the incident.
According to his recent interview with the state-run TV, he disclosed that they were caught with “countless amounts of arms, including sniper rifles” which are commonly used for assassination purposes.
According to the Sun Newspaper, which has blown the story “out of proportion” in the first place, there were six of them (four ex-Marine guards and two civilian crew members) who works for a private security firm called Protection Vessels International (PVI) that provides a guarding service for merchant vessels while they sail through the pirate infested Gulf of Aden. While they were sailing through the Eritrean Red Sea, they opted for a fuel stop to Massawa port.
Type of PVI guard Vessel
According to this same source, they were later approached by the Eritrean navy and asked for their papers before an exchange of shots were occurred. During these battle, two of the ex-marines has escaped by make use of one of their guarding speed vessel while the remaining four Britons (two ex-Marine and two civilian crew members) has been detained.
No casualties has been reported on either side but the government on its 8th April Press Release accuses the Britons of “committing offences and mistakes against the country.”
Various concerned groups around the world, who happen to follow the story from the start, wanted, however, some kind of clarification on the issue before they throw their whole weight to the rescue of the convicts:
- Why the vessel that was guarded against the supposed “pirates” was found with ‘countless amounts of arms’?
- Where was the destination?
- Is it related with acts of destabilizing the country?
- Knowing where the president’s new office and residence is located, that is the port city of Massawa, is there any relationship between the “sniper rifles” and an assassination attempt?
- As any vessel while entering the territory of the host country, why the guards fail to cooperate with the host’s navy when asked about documentations?
- Why the shoot out and who started it?
- Why the escape? They were supposed to guard the vessel in the first place not to abandon it and escape!
- How many of the Eritrean navy has died or injured during the shoot out and who is responsible?
- Why the British government is trying to cover up the whole issue with a threat of ‘robust action’ and negative media campaign against Eritrea?
The truth must come out by all means. The people and government of Eritrea has all the right to safe guard their security and territory. They also have the right to investigate the matter to the core regardless of the time it consumes.
The UK government shouldn’t have to worry about the safety of the four nationals unless it has something to do with the whole issue and fear for any kind implication.
They are in good hands and innocent until proven guilty!
The Gulf of Aden
.:TesfaNews:. 
Considering the West’s hostility towards Eritrea and the constant media campaign against the new African nation determined to stand up on its own feet without any handouts. And, the location of the incident, it’s reasonable to assume that these armed individuals were involved in a subversive mission.
Why else would they venture into a territory of a sovereign nation with arms and get involved in a shootout? etc…
Those claiming to be family members should have warned their loved ones against engaging in criminal acts before shedding tears after the fact. Hopefully Eritrea does not practice ‘enhanced interrogation’ methods, unlike the perpetrators of this crime.
It is indeed a good article.
Suppose that they have found an Eritrean, for instance, trying to enter UK with an explosive in his possession …. immediately they will charge him with Terorisom charges and put him under maximum prison condition.
When they enter a sovereign country with loads of weapons and sniper rifles, and when asked for documentation they open fire and trying to escape …. when detained after committing the crime, they try to invoke Geneva convention and consular access bla bla…. are they insane?????
Whatever time it takes they have to be investigated!!! Eritrea has to do one thing: let her release a video footage to show their well being and avoid any kind of torture technique to help the investigation.
It is the same old British supermacist mentality. After all they probably thought Eritrea would cave in to their “Might”! Sad, very sad indeed!
What the hell you are talking about, why this navy wants to inter to Eritrea??? Please ppl don’t fool by the propagand of Shabia, well the Wset hasn’t got any interest on Eritrea, if they were Shabia would disappeared long time ago. What i am worried now, if Shabia resist with realising the detain, we will be in trouble.
Molla you need not talk about a matter thatyou do not know. You are not required to make comments just for the sake of it or because you are Ethiopian, you are trying to oppose anything that matters for Eritrea. These marines were in Eritrean waters, Eritrea land , masswa.
What and why were they doing there in the first instace. They entered a foreign country with weapons, then they shoot, then run away. why did not they surrender if they were clean. Nothing will happen to them if they were clean. But there must be somthing that they wanted to hide, to run away. It means there was something inside them that made them to escape. The ethiopians like to mention shaebia too many times as Molla from Ethiopia did it to mention shaebia in his 3 sentence comment and shamleselly says we eritreans. How stupid can a person like mollabe be to trying hoodwink us and expose his foolishness. We know you molla by your smell. you stink!!!
Selam Brothers,
Because of the British expedition [1867] to Magdala (Ethiopia) to
free detained British citizens costs King Tedros his life — and changed
the Ethiopian political landscape forever.
Whatever crime(s) the four British subjects could have committed in
Eritrea, there couldn’t be any rational whatsoever for detaining these individuals without promptly charging them and bringing them to court. None whatsoever. Spying and conducting covert activities is what all governments engage in — some doing much more than others in accordance with their size, means and culture.
There is no question that Britain, along with the USA and others, has been hostile to the government of Eritrea in many instances. But, the four British subjects in Eritrea have nothing to do with the warped and evil policies of the British government.
A reminder: the US citizens that were detained by the Saddam Hussein regime in his invasion of Kuwait in 1991 were just awarded a $500 Millions settlement by the current Iraqi government. Why? Because the USA wanted it so.
You might ask: how about the millions of Iraqis that lost their lives, their properties and their livelihoods in the invasion and occupation by the USA army? Don’t they get compensated by somebody? Forget it. Maybe on another planet. Not on planet Earth.
I hope the Eritrean government will do the right thing and get rid of
these four British nationals without any delay. Let’s face it, justice in the world we live in is ONLY for the mighty.
For that matter, while we are on the subject, NO HUMAN BEING should be
incarcerated anywhere without being charged and given an opportunity to appear before a court.
NOBODY. To do so is simply barbarous.
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves” —
Abraham Lincoln
Eritrea should bring them to court and sentence them for 20 yrs or life in prison, but it looks bad if you just hold them with out making them face justice.
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/cia-contractor-raymond-davis-freed-pakistan/story?id=13146587
Dave: we have our own laws and authorities, we do not need others to tell us what to do or not to do, what looks bad or good! Subjugating a country in a no war no peace situation, just because they can, those who are trying to kill us, looks VERY BAD FOR MORE THAN 4 MILLION ERITREAN PEOPLE THAN FOR THESE MERCENARIES WHO CAME TO TAKE LIVES AND DISSEMINATE HORROR AND HAVOC! We do not worry about them, the UK goverment will pay them their salary so they wil have their account bank full and wealthy! ;-), so I have no idea how much you are aware of Eritrean history, Eritrean suffering and Eritrean policies, but what matters is what look good for Eritrean sovereignty and our people security! sans rancune!
I think eri is with in its rights to investigate, the uk and australia can have field day in their racist and patronizing approach. let the goe open their dirt closet as wide as poss for every one to see.
I think in the peace of world,one peace country can have thr own law and authorities so Eritrea is as a country can do what ever they wont. why the Brithish Govnt do dat for what porpose ? what is the reason , may be this is a tragedy to lead to unwonted war,they think dat this country they dont have a peace as well as relationship with the ppl so all their plan are not win ….. for the future don’t think dat coz this is the place of gift for our Martyers …
this is the place of peace