| Piracy attacks spike in Somali maritimes |
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| World Affairs Talk | |
| Monday, 04 June 2007 | |
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This warning covers all sea traffic to avoid the Horn of Africa. IMB Director Captain Pottengal Mukundan said in a statement that the dangers in this region are very genuine as several reports have detailed attacks involving machine guns and rocket- propelled grenades. Mr Pottengal Mukundan said, “We recommend that all vessels travelling in the area do so with caution and unless vessels are calling into Somali ports, that a 200 NM minimum distance be kept from the Somali coastline.” Situation in the Somali water is quite bad. Pirate attacks in Somali waters have mushroomed since the Islamist movement that brought a semblance of ‘law and order’ in January 2007. The pirates are using a mysterious "mother ship" to reach their targets far out at sea, and then board them using smaller speedboats. A number of recent attacks reveal the severity of the condition. Hijackers seized a Danish cargo ship and its five Danish crew in the latest case of piracy plaguing waters. The Donica White was carrying building materials from Dubai to Kenya's Mombasa port when gunmen boarded it. A general purpose 23,618 DWT vessel, was chased for nearly an hour by pirates using machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades. The vessel managed to escape, but not without having the accommodation block destroyed by fire from the grenade attack. The vessel was making its way from Durban to UAE when attacked at approximately 180 NM in the Indian Ocean. A second attack took place at a similar distance from the Somali coast. This incident saw a group of gunmen in speedboats run down and seize two South Korean flagged fishing vessels. The pirates took 30 people hostage. A third fishing vessel managed to outmaneuver the militiamen and continue on its voyage from Yemen to Kenya. These most recent attacks come in the wake of the hijackings on MVs Rozen and Mariam Queen. The UN-chartered Rozen was boarded in February 2007 and held, along with crewmembers, for 34 days after being attacked off the North East coast of Somalia. Mariam Queen was hijacked less than two weeks before these most recent attacks when armed men boarded the general cargo ship and took it to Hobiyo anchorage. The Mariam Queen was released by the hijackers on 27 May 2007. This spike in piracy activity surprisingly is opposite to 2005-2006 IMB statistics which showed a decline in acts of piracy in the region. From 35 attacks in 2005, in 2006 the number of reported attacks in Somali waters decreased to just 10, this includes five actual hijackings of vessels and five attempted attacks. In 2007 there have already been nine confirmed attacks on vessels off the Somali coast, six of which have included hijackings. Somali government should immediately exert firm control over militias operating in this area to bring stability off the coast. If this is not done, the ongoing violent piracy will continue to rise and seafarers will remain at risk as they pass through one of the main sea routes along the east coast of Africa. Share & Bookmark             |
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| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 06 June 2007 ) |
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