Somalia gunmen hijack ship
26/09/2005 12:19  - (SA)  

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Mogadishu - Somali gunmen who hijacked a United Nation-chartered food aid vessel in June have seized another commercial ship off the eastern coast of the lawless Horn of Africa nation, militia officials said on Monday.

The unidentified freighter, which was transporting cement from Egypt to Somalia when it was seized on Saturday, is being held near the town of Haradere, about 300km north of Mogadishu, along with the UN vessel, they said.

The number of crew on board, the tonnage of the ship's cargo and its registration were not immediately known, they said.

The militia officials and residents of Mogadishu said the owner of the cement cargo had spoken with the captain of the ship. He confirmed the ship was hijacked by the same gunmen who on June 27 seized the MV Semlow, which was transporting rice to Somalia for the World Food Programme (WFP).

Last week, the WFP said the gunmen, who had been demanding a ransom for the release of the St Vincent and the Grenadines-registered Semlow, had reneged on a deal to free the vessel, its 10-man crew and cargo.

Also last week, the US state department renewed its regional terrorism alert for East Africa, noting in particular increasingly violent attempts by Somali pirates to seize commercial ships.

In its weekly piracy report issued on Tuesday, the International Maritime Bureau said at least 21 attacks had been recorded off the Somali coast since March 15 and urged ships in the area to stay as far as possible from the shore.

- AFP

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