Pirates seize two more ships
2008-05-30 13:12
Mogadishu - Somali pirates have seized another two cargo ships in the country's lawless waters, bringing the total number of ships hijacked this week to three, said a maritime official on Friday.
Andrew Mwangura, the head of the East Africa Seafarers' Assistance Programme, said that pirates on Wednesday captured the Gibraltar-flagged MV Lehmann Timber, which was run by Germany's Kehdingerland GmbH, and the Turkey-flagged MV Arean.
No information on demands from the pirates, the ships' crews or their cargo was available.
Mwangura said the two ships were captured in the same area as Dutch cargo ship MV Amiya Scan, which was seized on Sunday along with its nine Russian and Filipino crew.
Piracy was rife off the Somali coast, which was close to key shipping routes. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) says 31 hijackings and attempted hijackings were reported last year.
Pirates 'use' automatic weapons
The number of hijackings this year was already approaching this figure.
The most high-profile case in recent months involved the capture of a luxury French yacht in April and the attempted ransoming of its crewmembers.
French troops recovered the hostages and captured six of the pirates, although another six were believed to have escaped.
The IMB on Wednesday issued an alert for the region, warning that pirates were using automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades to stop ships. The body had also advised vessels not scheduled to call on Somali ports keep at least 200 nautical miles from the Somali coast.
Somalia had been in a state of anarchy since the ouster of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Constant inter-clan clashes had left thousands dead and about one million displaced.
The transitional government was engaged in a brutal battle with Islamic insurgents and had no effective naval force that could stop the pirates.
However, France and the United States, backed by Britain, were trying to force through a United Nations Security Council resolution allowing foreign warships to enter Somali waters and battle the pirates.
Sapa-dpa
- SAPA