Pirates free Jordanian-flag ship

2008-05-23 15:20

Mogadishu - Pirates on Friday released a Jordanian-flagged cargo ship from captivity off the Somali coast, where it was held for nearly a week, officials said.

"The ship was released after the pirates held talks with the local elders in Haradere town and it is now sailing to Mogadishu," the ship's contractor Yusuf Moalim Ahmed said.

"I am not ready to give further details on negotiations, but I can confirm that the local elders helped in the release of the ship," he added.

The vessel, MV Victoria, was seized on Saturday and taken to Haradere, a coastal village about 500km north of the capital, Mogadishu.

The Jordanian government said the hijacked ship belonged to an Emirati company, and that it was carrying 4 200 tons of sugar donated by Denmark to the people of war-torn Somalia.

In April, forces from Somalia's breakaway Puntland region rescued a hijacked vessel from the United Arab Emirates. At least one pirate was killed during the raid while seven were arrested and later sentenced to life in prison.

In the same month, pirates seized a French luxury yacht and its crew of 30 and later a Spanish fishing boat. Both were released after a week.

The waters off Somalia, which had not had an effective central government for more than 17 years, were considered to be among the most dangerous in the world for shipping.

More than 25 ships were seized off Somalia last year despite United States navy patrols, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

- AFP