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Spanish fishermen still on boat
24/04/2008 16:29 - (SA)
Madrid - Spanish fishermen held by Somali pirates are still being retained on board their boat after four days, their family members said on Thursday.
The 13 Spanish and 13 African fishermen were being guarded by 12 people on board MS Playa de Bakio, which was seized on Sunday, according to radio reports.
Some reports had earlier claimed that the fishermen had been allowed to leave the vessel.
Spain's ambassador to Kenya is in Somalia to try to negotiate the release of the fishermen, whose boat was moored at about five kilometres off Hobbio north of the capital Mogadishu.
The Spanish government meanwhile said it had sent an air force reconnaissance plane to neighbouring Djibouti.
The plane was to back up the Spanish warship Mendez Nunez, which was due to arrive in the area on Thursday, according to press reports.
The preparations for a military rescue operation were mainly aimed at pressuring the pirates to accede to a negotiated solution, according to government sources.
The daily El Pais said Spain had also sent three other air force planes, one of which brought ambassador Nicolas Martin Cinto to Mogadishu for a meeting with the local authorities on Wednesday.
The other two were a cargo plane based in Djibouti and an aircraft for repatriating the Spanish fishermen if they are released.
Authorities in Mogadishu have given their support to Spain's attempts to reach an agreement with the kidnappers, who were expected to seek a ransom.
Several agents of the Spanish secret service CNI have travelled to Somalia, and special operations army units were on alert in Spain.
The European Union general and external affairs council will discuss piracy in the Indian Ocean at Spain's initiative on April 29, the government said.
- Sapa-dpa
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