An Abyss Under Preparation: MV FAINA Piracy Crisis off the Somali Coast
Dr. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis
November 04, 2008
It is noteworthy that the piracy phenomenon off the Somali coast became a frequent and daily practice only after the full demonstration of the Abyssinian incapability to impose the Amhara - Tigray tyrannical order in part of Somalia.
This makes very clear that the Somali pirates are the first victims of an extraordinary colonial machination that started being deployed only when the previous colonial attempt, the Abyssinian occupation of Somalia, failed.
Through inter-positioned people, England, France, and the pro-European part of the US administration, have attempted to create not an obstacle to, but the pretext for an international intervention that would avert, the rise of the Islamic parties, alliances and organizations in Somalia.
Piracy is being therefore used against the perspective of a reunited and pacified Somalia ruled by the diverse Islamic parties and movements.
Herewith I republish in descending order the last three updates of the Ecoterra press release and their updated press statement.
40th Update 2008-11-03 13:35:48 UTC
Ecoterra Intl. - Stay Calm & Solve it Peaceful & Fast!
Ecoterra International Update & Media Release on the Stand-off Concerning the Ukrainian Weapons-ship Hi-jacked by Somali Pirates.
Day 40 - 935 h into the FAINA Crisis - Update Summary
New EA Seafarers Assistance Programme Emergency Helpline: +254-738-497979
East African Seafarers Assistance Programme - Media Officer: +254-733-385868
Increased efforts for a peaceful release continued, but the now one month long stand-off concerning Ukrainian MV FAINA is still not yet solved, though intensive negotiations have continued and both sides are striving to finalize the modalities of the safe release of crew and vessel.
The Western naval task force is coordinating actions with the Russian Baltic Fleet´s escort ship Neustrashimy off the Horn of Africa. Right now, we coordinate and we have exchanged information between the task force and the Russian vessel but there was no participation of the Russian vessel in this exercise. But they have established communications between some of the ships that are in the task force and the Russian ship", Navy Commander Jane Campbell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain told Itar-Tass by phone on Sunday. "I would say more routine. Not alarming or anything like that but a routine communications between the vessels". "We believe it (the one we talk to) is a first mate who is now the captain of the vessel who has most of the communication. On a number of occasions we requested all the crewmembers be brought out because we're close enough and we can see and ensure that all of them look as though they are in good health". Currently Russia and the United States are not planning active cooperation in order to release the Ukrainian ship FAINA with several Russian crew-members. "At this point we maintain a very careful watch. We are not specifically involved with the negotiations that take place between the vessel's owners and by the pirates who taken the ship captive. In other words, in other cases where vessels have been pirated they (captors) have not taken action against crewmembers so obviously we want a safe and peaceful resolution to this situation. And so we work to those ends". Ria Novosti, quoting a naval source, reported: "At the moment, the Neustrashimy frigate is escorting a merchant ship through the dangerous shipping zone in the Horn of Africa. The Russian combat vessel is ensuring the safety of Russian merchant shipping through the zone", the source said, adding that the Baltic Fleet's supply-tanker Yelnya was expected to join the Neustrashimy in the near future".
Like in other cases of abducted ships (incl. MT STOLT VALOR) also the families and close relatives of the seafarers on board MV FAINA are intimidated by insurance negotiators, ship-owner-offices and even governments in order to step back and not to interfere. Who on earth has a higher right to "interfere" in order to rescue a person than the close family and relatives of seafarers? Prior informed consent has to be achieved between families and the "high" offices of authorities and business owners. The "doctors" of these "high-nosed" offices like their spin-doctors have to seek the consent of the families before any potentially deadly "operation" is setting in or neglect would become the reality of the day.
Other news -----
Reading Ecoterra's demand to relieve the Spanish head of the new anti-piracy mission of the European Union, Capt. Andres Breijo for given reason from his duties with immediate effect, many supporting statements for this necessary step were received. One such statement reads in excerpt: I read your reporting of what Spanish Captain Breijo, as head of EU NAVCO, said regarding Pirates. I, as a EU Citizen and former captive of Somali pirates, am horrified at his reported utterances. If the capitano was on board a high-jacked vessel and had a Kalashnikov assault gun with two clips full of ammunition and one round up the breech put to his head as he went to the toilet, he would sing a different tune. Clear off and leave the work of dealing and negotiating with pirates to the professionals, who have the experience, character and qualification. Patience, understanding and a love of fellow man is needed in these circumstances, and a modicum of psychology. The Pirates themselves have a code of behaviour and punish their own, Capt. Breijo.
Ecoterra Intl. supports this statement and can make the contacts of this professional seafarer as well as the contacts of a Captain of an abducted and released ship available to interested parties, since both agreed to be available to be addressed "with questions, and we will try and answer truthfully".
Alert: According to recently leaked information the anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden are also used as a cover-up for the live testing of recently developed arsenals of so called non-lethal as well as sub-lethal weapons systems. One such weapon - officially known as the Active Denial System, or ADS, is a less-lethal weapon that uses directed energy in form of a millimeter wave that penetrates a 64th of a inch beneath the skin, causing a rather intense burning sensation. This "pain ray"-weapon can, conceivably, be also used as some kind of torture tool, which has made it "not politically tenable", according to a Defense Science Board report and but moreover a study, released in Germany, notes that the weapon "has a potential to produce permanent injury or death". The U.S. Marine Corps has been on the forefront to test these weapons in the field - and has done so already earlier during military operations in Somalia like during Restore Hope (1992-1993) and United Shield (1995). The U.S. Navy has had less involvement in NLW testing, but seems now to catch up. According to the Federation of American Scientist, the US military is currently also engaged in several research efforts to develop non-lethal chemical and biological weapons.
These weapons can be placed into two main categories: incapacitants and anti-material agents. Incapacitants are biological and chemical substances that have a "calmative" effect on humans, and can cause symptoms such as nausea, disorganized thinking, and hallucinations. While new developments of preventive measures, like the Running Gear Entanglement System (RGES) - a clever system of floating lines with loops, which are supposed to be caught by the propeller of an approaching attack-skiff and thereby stop its propulsion - are showing the way how do things. But the use e.g. of chemical agents with disabilitating capabilities disguised as "smoke-bombs" must actually be considered already as chemical warfare. The rules of engagement of navies entering now the Somali waters must be by all means supervised by an independent committee comprising of Somali governmental representatives, members from parliament select committees of the participating countries and independent specialists in order to ensure that none of such testing-atrocities can happen during the operations in Somali Waters. Especially the testing or use of neuro-electromagnetic devices that transmits microwave radiation sound pulses into a person´s skull must be ruled out. All use of force must be decisively documented, openly reported and be made publicly available. Since the President of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia had given his consent to use force against pirates to several navies, but set the condition that any such operation can only be carried out in close co-operation with the Somali Government and since that permission has not yet been ratified by the Somali Parliament, it is obvious that no permission for the use of lethal or non-lethal force has been given. Those who believe that the UN security council resolutions could be interpreted as carte blanche permissions or even order the use of force are clearly mistaken in terms of international law. In order to avert any atrocities right from the start, especially the UN but also the EU and NATO have to come up with clear oversight mechanisms, which would hold water to any scrutiny by the Somali governances, by elected members of governments from participating nations, by human-rights organizations and the public at large.
Herve Morin, the French defence minister, says European Union member states are on the verge of a "big and pragmatic step forward" in plans to create a common EU defence capability. In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr. Morin conceded that France, in the face of British opposition, had given up for now on its goal of creating a joint EU headquarters in Brussels that could run live operations. He said each EU-badged mission would continue to be run by a national headquarters in a member state such as the UK or France. Mr. Morin said he regretted that this was the case. President Nicolas Sarkozy said last year that France would become a full member of the NATO alliance.
The Danish Navy stated Sunday that pirates had fired shots at a Danish tanker in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's coast during a failed attempt by pirates to commandeer the ship off Somalia's coast. The MAERSK tanker was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia, on Sunday afternoon, the company has confirmed. The 'BRITTA MAERSK', a Danish-registered product tanker, was traveling from Singapore to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia when pirates opened fire from two small crafts. Bullet holes were later found in the ship. Two speed boats closed in on the ship, the crew locked everything up and activated the fire extinguishing system so water was sprayed over the sides of the ship,' said MAERSK spokesman Peter Beck-Bang. and explained that these efforts forced the pirates to give up the pursuit. He confirmed that no crew member was injured in the attack. Danish warship 'ABSALON' - currently patrolling the area as part of a NATO anti-piracy fleet - was in the area, but by the time it reached the 'BRITTA MAERSK' the pirates had disappeared. This is the second time in month that a MAERSK ship has been pursued by pirates in the seas off the Horn of Africa. The Danish navy confirmed that no crew member was injured in the incident, since the ship's crew took measures, including spraying water from high-pressure hoses, to prevent the pirates from taking it over. According to the Danish Navy the pirates had disappeared by the time a Danish navy helicopter arrived and the navy says it is searching for the pirates in the area.
Dutch shipowners have urged the government to take immediate action on escalating piracy and to look into the possibility of bringing seized pirates to face trial in the Netherlands at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. "There have been several cases where Somali pirates have been caught but let go", Martin Dorsman, who is responsible for economic and fiscal affairs at the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners´ (KVNR), told Lloyd´s List. "We are looking for a possible solution, the government should investigate bringing pirates to trial in the Netherlands". KVNR and the Nautilus NL union have told the government that the situation off Somalia is "very urgent" and that something needed to be done, he said.
Concerning sea-jacked freighter MV YASA NESLIHAN, which briefly was on anchorage near Alula and is now on its way to Eyl, State Minister Kürşad Tüzmen, said the issue has been closely followed by Turkish authorities. "Foreign Ministry authorities have been taking the necessary steps for the safe return of the captain and the crew to Turkey", Tüzmen said, noting that contacts with related institutions and organizations were under way within the framework of international cooperation.
Yemen Foreign Minister Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi demanded from the international community to deploy peace-keeping forces to Somalia to keep the fragile peace agreement that was recently signed between the interim government and opposition coalition in Djibouti. Yemen earlier welcomed the ceasefire agreement reached between the Somali interim government and opposition, including the Islamic Courts Coalition. The agreement could also help to curb piracy activities, which has been on rise over the last two years, in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. For his part, a Foreign Ministry sources called on all Somali parties to abide by the ceasefire agreement and to take the Somali people's interest into consideration and their aspiration to stability and security.
After several months of deliberations, South Korea´s government has finally decided to send a destroyer to join the combined taskforce off Somalia to help protect its commercial fleet from pirate attack.
Again 8 died in three explosives-attacks in the southern agricultural town of Baidoa which is some 245 km from the Somali capital Mogadishu and a district commissioner was wounded by a roadside bomb on first November. The three near simultaneous explosions were targeted at Ethiopian military bases in and around the fringes of the town, which is the temporary seat of the Somali transitional federal government, and twenty others sustained injuries of different levels.
Ecoterra Press Statement (updated)
Ecoterra Intl. welcomes the statement by Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council: "The priority should be to resolve the problem only through negotiations with the pirates without the use of force", as well as the statement by Russia: "The Russian Navy rejects the use of force!" as stated by Capt.1st Rank Igor Dygalo to RIA Novosti concerning the FAINA case and lately the statement by the US-American Government: "The United States is seeking a peaceful resolution to the hijacking, while preventing the cargo from falling into the hands of anyone who would use it to further destabilize the region".
Ecoterra International still urges all sides in the case of the hi-jacked Ukrainian ship MV FAINA to further de-escalate the extremely dangerous situation. "If the falcons from Kenya or Sudan, from Russia or Ukraine, from the U.S., NATO or the EU and last but not least some ill-advised regional politicians or religious leaders not to mention some suicidal captors or fanatic volunteers would get their way and drive the case to an end by destroying the vessel and its cargo, a major humanitarian and environmental disaster would be created in the case of the weapons transporter MV FAINA!", Ecoterra Intl. spokesman Dr. Hans-Juergen Duwe stated and expressed his specific trust in Ukrainian Prime Minister Lady Yulia Tymoshenko to care for the lives of her seafarers.
The cargo of the ill-fated ship comprises not only of the 1,500 mt of refurbished battle tanks (33 units), it also consists at least of 1,000 mt other military hardware, including 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition with a substantial amount of 125mm 3BM32, which contain a depleted uranium (DU) penetrator. It can not be ruled out that among other loaded munitions also tank rounds encased in a DU liner for ´enhanced killing power´ can be found, which Russia has marketed for export and which have an even a higher DU load.
In case Kenya - as announced by its Foreign Minister together with China and India (though India refuted that and stated clearly that it even will not enter Somali territorial waters) - would really get its way and the Ukraine, Russia, France, the United States of America, the EU parties, NATO or any other power are willing to stand by and to do nothing against a military solution, while the FAINA has been prepared by the pirates or commandos in the meantime to be blown up, a grave humanitarian and a major environmental disaster would be created only around 8 miles off coastal villages and 11 km from the town of Obiyo (Hobyo). The whole coastal stretch with other nearby towns like Xarardheere (Haradheere) to the South or Iidaan to the North would be affected.
Depleted uranium (DU) munitions are at least controversial because of unanswered questions about potential long-term health effects and they are classified as a toxic heavy metal. Cellular and animal studies have shown that uranium is a kidney toxin, neurotoxin, immunotoxin, mutagen (agent which changes the genetic information of an organism), carcinogen and teratogen (agent causing malformations of the embryo or foetus), which is why not only the vast majority of countries - including Kenya - have signed a resolution to ban its proliferation, but also the UN and the EU work on its global ban.
"The acutely pending humanitarian and environmental crisis and disaster situation still can be averted by thorough negotiations", Dr. Duwe is convinced, "because the pirates are only interested in the money and a quick, safe get-away".
"This crisis is of such magnitude that it can not be left to diplomats in Nairobi or to the arms-exporters to drag on, while the military hard-liners, referring to ill-advised demands by some biased Somali politicians, who this time might not benefit, get ready or "allow" others to blow this case into a real problem", the Ecoterra spokesman concluded with the advise that the stand-off must be solved peacefully by a payment coming from those who left this dangerous shipment unprotected into Somali waters. Ecoterra Intl. demands that the UN agencies tasked with peacekeeping and arms-embargoes in the region as well as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the IAEA and other relevant organizations are called in to inspect the cargo after the pirates release it.
Since 26. Sept. 2008 Ecoterra Intl. has daily urged the Somali group, which hi-jacked FV FAINA, to treat the ship's crew with all human respect, to allow medical personnel as well as supplies for the people to come on board, to not tamper with the cargo and to agree to an unproblematic quick and directly negotiated solution to the crisis. Likewise Ecoterra called on the governments involved to live up to their responsibilities. The recent developments, however, characterized by calling in the guns to bring the stand-off to an end would cause a real disaster and must be averted by all means.
It must be avoided too that the now re-enforced pirate-gang becomes so paranoid and desperate that they would blow up the ship or start killing members of the crew. Even though some war-mongers might see Ukrainian seafarers only as collateral damage, the world community has to recognize and safeguard their human rights - to life at least and not to be sacrificed for the smooth running of legal or illegal business as usual. Under the present situation the pirates might even abandon the ship and leave the crew unharmed, if the Navy ships would open for them an escape possibility. Not doing so means either paying or having to sacrifice the crew, the ship and the cargo as well as creating an environmental disaster at the seashore of impoverished Somalia.
Ecoterra Intl. together with Madam Nyna Karpachyova, the Ukrainian parliament's human rights ombudsman, and the Ukrainian as well as Russian families and in accordance with many national and international Human Rights Organizations and several embassies in the region plead not to sacrifice the crew but to come now to a quick solution and a peaceful release of the vessel.
Ecoterra Intl. in addition urges the NATO fleet and other navy ships involved in securing the waters off Somalia to also assist in fighting illegal fishing by foreign vessels, even or especially if they have links to their home countries and to arrest any case of toxic waste dumping in a way that it can be prosecuted under UNCLOS and other relevant legislation by the International Maritime Court in Hamburg and its International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) or even by the ICC as far as the international humanitarian law and human rights are affected in cases of toxic or nuclear waste dumping having genocidal impacts on the coastal people of Somalia. "Also self-discipline is what is asked for from the nations, who send now their navies into Somalia's waters", concluded the Ecoterra spokesman.
Ecoterra Intl. and ECOP-marine on 2nd November declared Captain Andres Breijo, the Spanish head of the new anti-piracy mission of the European Union - dubbed EU NAVCO - unfit to hold this high office. The Spanish captain made the following statement in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph: "In the old days, when the navy would catch a pirate, they would tie his hands and feet and throw him back in the sea", said Captain Andres Breijo, "Now they have human rights".
While some frustrations felt by Europe's admiralty due to their restrictive rules of engagement could be understood due to the complex and tricky legal situation in the waters of Somalia, "the obvious wish of Capt. Breijo to tackle situations the old way, is an indication that he would not necessarily like to follow the rule of law and his obvious disregard for today's set of human rights is appalling", a spokesman for the organizations said and added: "We request that Capt. Breijo is relieved from his duties with immediate effect and be replaced with a commander, who is experienced in critical situations, educated to the highest standards, respectful to the laws and human rights and does not hail from a country, whose illegal fishing activities in Somalia have been recorded since many years, whereby conflict of interest is given".
By stating further: "What can you do?" said Capt. Breijo, "They don't belong to any nation". - the present commander of NAVCO showed without any doubt that he is not even aware that Somalia is a nation and Somalia's citizens belong to that nation. Capt. Breijo thereby demonstrated total disrespect for the territory and the people he would have to assist in safeguarding the Somali waters from criminal activities and he also disqualified himself from being able to trustworthy represent the states and peoples of the European Union in this important mission at the Horn of Africa.
39th Update 2008-11-02 16:25:19 UTC
Ecoterra Intl. - Stay Calm & Solve it Peaceful & Fast!
Ecoterra International Update & Media Release on the Stand-off Concerning the Ukrainian Weapons-ship Hi-jacked by Somali Pirates.
Day 39 - 913 h into the FAINA Crisis Update Summary
New EA Seafarers Assistance Programme Emergency Helpline: +254-738-497979
East African Seafarers Assistance Programme - Media Officer: +254-733-385868
Increased efforts for a peaceful release continued, but the now one month long stand-off concerning Ukrainian MV FAINA is still not yet solved, though intensive negotiations have continued and both sides are striving to finalize the modalities of the safe release of crew and vessel.
The owner of the Ukrainian ship has quickly declined to confirm a report by the Arabic newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, published in London, which claimed that the pirates might release the FAINA's crew from captivity shortly. Mikhail Voitenko, the editor-in-chief of the Sovfracht Maritime Bulletin, managed to contact him by telephone Saturday and to get as refuting answer that "any progress is absent at the talks with pirates now". Voitenko stated from the communication also: "On the contrary, the pirates hope that some other party will pay more and that is why they reject any agreements with the owner at the moment, although one might think fairly recently that the sides had reached it". Nor is it ruled out that the pirates may be well-informed about the mess around the talks and they may have been tipped that someone has allegedly collected the monies they demanded initially. "And the people making such statements are keeping silent and thus disrupting the talks between the owner and the pirates through the London-based go-betweens", he said. He also admits that someone may have contacted the sea-jackers and have promised more money, reported Russian ITAR-TASS news agency.
Other news -----
Ecoterra Intl. and ECOP-marine declared today Captain Andres Breijo, the Spanish head of the new anti-piracy mission of the European Union - dubbed EU NAVCO - unfit to hold this high office. The Spanish captain made the following statement in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph: "In the old days, when the navy would catch a pirate, they would tie his hands and feet and throw him back in the sea", said Captain Andres Breijo, "Now they have human rights".
While some frustrations felt by Europe's admiralty due to their restrictive rules of engagement could be understood due to the complex and tricky legal situation in the waters of Somalia, "the obvious wish of Capt. Breijo to tackle situations the old way is an indication that he would not necessarily like to follow the rule of law and his obvious disregard for today's set of human rights is appalling", a spokesman for the organizations said and added: "We request that Capt. Breijo is relieved from his duties with immediate effect and be replaced with a commander, who is experienced in critical situations, educated to the highest standards, respectful to the laws and human rights and does not hail from a country, whose illegal fishing activities in Somalia have been recorded since many years, whereby conflict of interest is given".
By stating further: "What can you do?" said Capt. Breijo, "They don't belong to any nation." - the present commander of NAVCO showed without any doubt that he is not even aware that Somalia is a nation and Somalia's citizens belong to that nation. Capt. Breijo thereby demonstrated total disrespect for the territory and the people he would have to assist in safeguarding the Somali waters from criminal activities and he also disqualified himself from being able to trustworthy represent the states and peoples of the European Union in this important mission at the Horn of Africa.
The European Union (EU) has initiated a ´Close Support Protection´ system for vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden. The French navy is the first to offer this service and is able to provide protection teams onboard two merchant vessels at a time. But at the moment only two vessels will have the protection teams onboard upon request. The rest of the ships intending to follow this ´group of protected vessels´ can do so without the protection teams onboard. The presence of the warships will deter pirates from attacking any vessels in the group. Vessels can also call the nearby warships for assistance when attacked by pirates. But the EU cell is already receiving five requests a day for protection from shipowners and can only fully protect two ships on each of the French frigates' fortnightly sailings, while the other European navy ships in the area obviously are busy with side-shows.
The defence ministers of France and Spain on Sunday launched a European Union military operation to combat piracy off the Somali coast. "This is the inception of the operation which will be formalised on November 10" at a meeting of EU defence ministers in Brussels, French Defence Minister Herve Morin told reporters today in Djibouti. Boats from Spain and France are among the worst offenders in cases of illegal fishing in African coastal waters.
Four Gulf navies are to take part in maritime exercises with visiting NATO ships during the first week of November, a first operation under the 2004 Istanbul Co-operation Initiative (ICI). The initiative, which calls on the alliance to work with the countries of the region, aims to contribute to long-term global and regional security by offering Middle-Eastern countries security co-operation with NATO.
The German, Turkish and US ships began their first joint exercise with the Bahraini Royal Navy on first of November. The exercises will be repeated with other Gulf navies following visits to Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE. "The wining and dining of these Navies continues, while hardly any protection is given to merchant ships!", commented a group of seafarers.
Happy Diwali to all Indian Seafarers. The Diwali festival marks the victory of good over evil, and uplifting of spiritual darkness. Symbolically it marks the homecoming of goodwill and faith after an absence, as suggested by the Ramayana. ... and a quick release of MT STOLT VALOR with its 18 Indian crew must be achieved now!
Shipping companies watch out: Get a reputation for not being able to handle abduction negotiations and quick release of crew, cargo and ship and you will find your ships unable to find a cargo or crew in future!
38th Update 2008-11-01 15:14:27 UTC
Ecoterra Intl. - Stay Calm & Solve it Peaceful & Fast!
Ecoterra International Update & Media Release on the Stand-off Concerning the Ukrainian Weapons-ship Hi-jacked by Somali Pirates.
Day 38 - 889 h into the FAINA Crisis - Update Summary
New EA Seafarers Assistance Programme Emergency Helpline: +254-738-497979
East African Seafarers Assistance Programme - Media Officer: +254-733-385868
Increased efforts for a peaceful release continued, but the now one month long stand-off concerning Ukrainian MV FAINA is still not yet solved, though intensive negotiations have continued and both sides are striving to finalize the modalities of the safe release of crew and vessel.
According to RIA Novosti, Russia, the Somali captors holding the MV FAINA say they will release the ship with its crew within two days if a ransom of at least $5 million is paid, a London-based Arab newspaper said on Saturday. As-Shark al-Ausat quoted anonymous sources in Somalia as saying the pirates "demand that the ransom must be paid in the next two days", and that talks on the release of the hostages have entered their final stage.
Other news -----
Fehmi Ülgener, a lawyer for the Yasa Maritime Company, owner of MV YASA NESLIHAN denied earlier Turkish media reports suggesting the existence of a ransom note from the pirates, which the Anatolia news agency reported yesterday. No contact with the pirates has been made yet and no request has been conveyed to us, Ülgener told Anatolia. "We have received information from NATO only about the ship's coordinates. Any kind of an operation is out of the question. NATO warships are following the hijacked ship from a distance". However, security forces hesitate to intervene as there is danger for hostages.
Officials are trying to work out a solid plan to rescue hostages alive. In Ankara, Gen. Metin Gürak, head of the Turkish General Staff's communication department, told a weekly press briefing that the hijacking incident concerning the freighter has been closely followed by the General Staff. A Turkish naval ship, part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), is currently in the region, but so far could not do anything. "Our ship is at the moment in Manama, Bahrain", Gürak said. Most of the duties of the naval ships seem to consist of courtesy calls into harbours of the region. Ali Eygül, father of Yalçın Eygül, a mechanical engineer working on board the freighter, is one of them. Expressing concern for his son's life, Eygül said: "I hope my son and the rest of the crew are rescued without being harmed". Ali Eygül, who lives in a village near Lüleburgaz in Kırklareli province, said also: "We were not able to receive any official information. Up to today, we have been waiting, and we are very worried. I hope nobody gets hurt". Mustafa Bağcı, Yalçın Eygül's father-in-law, confirmed this and said: "We are trying to get information from news bulletins on television". The co-ordinates of the ship, which was hijacked by nearly 50 Somali pirates, are provided by NATO. The captain of the ship then informed the company in a telephone call that the crew was in good condition. "The captain of the ship called us and said their ship anchored", Fehmi Ülgener said at a press conference in Istanbul. The captain said "the pirates treated them well and the crew was in good health condition", Ülgener was quoted as saying by the semi-official Anatolia news agency.
Negotiations concerning the MT STOLT VALOR seem to have a serious break-down with observers close to the scene reporting that the negotiator from the side of the owner had tried to tread the captors like children, had made false promises and had broken other promises as well, which caused an angry reaction from the side of the pirates, who have gone now into non-responsive mode, not allowing communications with the crew and no supplies of food or drinking-water to be brought on board. They are even very reluctant to allow medicines for the crew to be brought to the ship. Indian Defence Minister AK Antony expressed concern over the rampant piracy in the Somalia. Antony said though many countries have their ships stationed in the Somali waters, nobody has taken any action against the pirates so far. It is obvious that the families of the seafarers are misinformed by invented press-releases from the Japanese ownership of that vessel, who try to paint a picture that everything would be ok. A renewed attempt to at least deliver medicines has been made today by a humanitarian group.
Egypt has called an urgent meeting of Arab countries bordering the Red Sea to combat rampant piracy off Somalia, the foreign ministry said on Saturday. Egypt and Yemen will coordinate the meeting, which will be held later this month, the ministry was saying in a statement, without specifying a date. Egypt is seeking to coordinate efforts of Arab countries in the fight against piracy in the Red Sea, Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hossam Zaki said on Saturday. Egypt has offered invitations to the Arab countries overlooking the Red Sea to meet in Cairo later this month to discuss anti-piracy efforts, Zaki said in a statement. The high-level meeting, which is to be co-chaired by Egypt and Yemen, will discuss means of combating piracy and securing navigation routes in the Red Sea waters, Zaki said. It is imperative for the Arab countries overlooking the Red Sea to work together concerning the piracy, although it is now limited to the areas off the Somali coast, western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, said the spokesman. Zaki stressed that the piracy issue should be eradicated by settling its root causes that are closely connected with the turbulence in Somalia.
Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who spent most of the last two years in exile, flew into Somalia from Nairobi with a delegation from his Islamic Courts Union (ICU) movement, a key step in light of his acceptance of a UN-sponsored deal to bring back stability. The 44-year-old Sharif, who is the chairman of the opposition umbrella movement Alliance for the Re-liberation of Somalia (ARS), signed an agreement last month in Djibouti for an Ethiopian troop pullback and a ceasefire. The ICU had ruled much of Somalia with relative peace and prosperity until the Ethiopian involvement. While then the ICU's political leadership largely fled to Eritrea after the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia, the movement's military and youth wing, the Shebab, switched to insurgency.
Note
Picture: The U.S. Navy´s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Howard and the Ticonderoga-class missile cruiser Vella Gulf engaged the Faina in pursuit within several hundred yards to stop the unloading of the cargo by the pirates. From:
http://chenreiki.com/blog/
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