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| Africa Horn |
| Pirates seize Ukrainian ship off Somalia coast |
| 2008-09-25 |
| NAIROBI (AFP) — Pirates on Thursday seized a Ukrainian cargo ship off the coast of Somalia while it was en route to the Kenyan port of Mombasa, a maritime official told AFP. The hijackers commandeered the Belize-flagged Faina to a yet unknown location, said Andrew Mwngura who runs the Kenya chapter of the Seafarers Assistance Programme. "It was sailing from the Baltics and was expected in Mombasa on September 27," he added. "As usual, the pirates were armed on a speedboat when they seized the ship, but we do not know where they have taken it." Somali pirates often take ships to Eyl, a pirate den in the country's northern breakaway region of Puntland. On Monday, the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre chief Noel Choong said the pirates had changed tactics by attacking further out to sea and on two fronts to evade international security. He said the attackers now operate simultaneously in the Gulf of Aden and on the eastern coast of Somalia and extending their range by operating from larger vessels. Some pirates have justified their actions by claiming that, in the absence of a functional central authority in Somalia, they were battling illegal fishing and toxic waste dumping by foreign countries. Ahhhh... they're "environmentalist" pirates. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #8 Agree with Zheng Fei. |
| Posted by: General_Comment 2008-09-25 22:05 |
| #7 They could avoid these problems by staying close to the Yemeni coast. I suspect they're just trying to save fuel and time (hours) by running the gauntlet. Most times, it works out fine. But other times... |
| Posted by: Zhang Fei 2008-09-25 21:03 |
| #6 I know what the map looks like. I wonder why anyone thinks it's worthwhile sailing anywhere near Somalia - particularly since the ships apparently refuse to arm themselves. Yes, going around the Horn is longer, but you miss the pirates. Is it really worthwhile to take the chance? I'm betting the insured owner telling them to take the short route isn't on board to meet the pirates.... |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-09-25 20:36 |
| #5 Look at a map. |
| Posted by: General_Comment 2008-09-25 19:48 |
| #4 Because the alternative to transiting the Suez canal is to go around Africa, one suspects.  And ships that go through the canal end up passing the horn, i.e. Somalia. |
| Posted by: lotp 2008-09-25 19:44 |
| #3 What the hell is wrong with these cargo ships? Why are they sailing anywhere close to Somalia. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2008-09-25 18:46 |
| #2 Well, if you have Jihad-at-sea, then you have Taqiyya-at-sea too. |
| Posted by: Grunter 2008-09-25 17:26 |
| #1 See. They're really "Greenpeace:Somalia"... GAROWE, Somalia Sep 18 (Garowe Online) - A mysterious gentleman who called Somalia-based Radio Garowe on Thursday claimed to be the spokesman for a self-titled group called the Somali Youth Coastguard. Identifying himself only as Mr. Wadani (nationalist, in Somali), he read an eight-point press release that included a grave warning to the French government. "We will give a clear answer to the French government's action," Mr. Wadani said, while referring to French commandos who killed one suspected pirate, arrested six others and freed two French citizens who were being held hostage off of Somalia's Puntland coast. Mr. Wadani demanded that the French government "immediately release the Somali youth," referring to the six suspected pirates arrested during last Tuesday's military operation. He warned that any attempt at further military action "will harm the safety of the hostages" aboard some 10 ships currently being held for ransom near Somali waters. Foreign governments and ship owners were warned to "reach an immediate decision within 48 hours" so the ships and hostages can be freed or the pirates "will take an unexpected step," Mr. Wadani said while reading the press statement. Further, the statement said that the Somali Youth Coastguard "will not accept the dumping of toxic waste or the robbing of natural resources" along the Somali coast. All foreign vessels caught in Somali territorial waters illegally "will be fined," Mr. Wadani warned. He distanced the group from any religious or political movement in Somalia, while describing the group as "a popular uprising" against years of international neglect that allowed the dumping of toxic waste along the Somali coastline. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2008-09-25 16:56 |