Muhyadin Ahmed Roble in Nairobi (Mathaba) - One of the Somali pirates who kidnapped a Panamanian-flagged ship with 18 crew told VOA that the ship was not carried weapons.
Andrew Mwangura, the head of the East Africa Seafarers' Assistance program said on Monday the ship was going to the Horn of Africa lawless country, Somalia, contravention of a 16-year UN arms embargo.
Mwangura said "The cargo ship is a regular carrier of weapons to Somalia and has been acting against the UN arms embargo.”
Isse Abdi Ahmed talk to by phone VOA says no arms are no ship, adding they will soon be negotiating a ransom demands with the owners. Somali pirates have increased their attacks against vessels using international waters and they hold at least 11 vessels and more than 200 crew.
Ahmed, a Somali pirates, says they are defending the Somali coast from illegal shipping and poisonous waste dumping.
Mohammed Iqbal, manager the hijacked cargo ship al-Mizan who spoke to VOA from Dubai confirmed that the negotiations with Somali pirates are under way. 18 crew from 15 Indians, two Pakistanis and one Somali are on the board
A group of Somali Bussinessmen called the Juba General Trading Company had hired the al-Mizan to carry cargo from the United Arab Emirates to Mogadishu.
Foreign warships from western counties are patrolling the area to try and prevent pirates, but the Somali pirates are now hijacking for ships far into the Indian Ocean.
Somalia, war-torn and lawless country in Horn of Africa, has not had an effective government since warlords overthrew Dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. . -- Mathaba
Muhyadin Ahmed Roble is a Somali journalist reporting for Mathaba and lives in Kenya. He can be contacted at:
Muhudin01@gmail.com
#
