Suspected pirate arrested

2006-02-14 10:14

Mogadihu - Gunmen loyal to a local warlord have arrested a suspected pirate for the hijacking of a UN cargo ship last year, said the leader of a militia on Tuesday.

Militiamen from the self-proclaimed security forces in Lower Shabelle region acted on a tip on Sunday and surrounded a house in Merka, 100km southwest of Somalia's capital of Mogadishu.

Abdikarim Dahir Mohamed, one of three men suspected in the hijacking in October, was found inside, said deputy militia commander Nuriyeh Ali Farah.

"More than two dozen security forces from the region surrounded the house in which Mr Abdikarim was hiding," said Nuriyeh. "We got the information from our secret services which led us to the successful arrest."

Nuriyeh said Abdikarim had a pistol and an assault rifle with him when he was arrested. The suspect was undergoing interrogation before standing trial and the militia were still looking for the other two suspected pirates, he added.

Divided country

It was not immediately clear which court would hear the case. Somalia has been without a central government since 1991 when the government fell to rival warlords who divided the country among themselves.

There are regional and Islamic courts in Merka, but both depend on clan-based militias for support.

Sunday's arrest was the first in Somalia following a series of high-profile hijackings, including two against vessels carrying food aid for the World Food Programme. A US Navy vessel intercepted a suspected pirate ship last month and turned over 10 Somali suspects to Kenyan authorities for trial.

The International Maritime Organisation has warned ships to stay away from the Somali coast because of pirate attacks.

- SAPA