Status Of Seized Vessels And Crews In Somalia

Counter-Piracy Updates

Status Of Seized Vessels And Crews In Somalia, The Gulf Of Aden And The Indian Ocean

(ecoterra - 20. March 2011)

ECOTERRA Intl. and ECOP-marine serve concerning the counter-piracy issues as advocacy groups in their capacity as human rights, marine and maritime monitors as well as in co-operation with numerous other organizations, groups and individuals as information clearing-house. In difficult cases we have successfully served as mediators.

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STATUS-SUMMARY:

Today, 20. March 2011, 23h30 UTC, at least 42 foreign vessels plus two barges are kept in Somali hands against the will of their owners, while at least 684 hostages or captives - including a South-African yachting couple as well as a Danish yacht-family with children - suffer to be released.
But even EU NAVFOR, who mostly only counts high-value, often British insured vessels, admitted now that many dozens of vessels were sea-jacked despite their multi-million Euro efforts to protect shipping.
Having come under pressure, EU NAVFOR's operation ATALANTA felt now compelled to publish their updated piracy facts for those vessels, which EU NAVFOR admits had not been protected from pirates and were abducted. EU NAVFOR also admitted in February 2011 for the first time that actually a larger number of vessels and crews is held hostage than those listed on their file.
Since EU NAVFOR's inception at the end of 2008 the piracy off Somalia started in earnest and it has now completely escalated. Only knowledgeable analysts recognized the link.
Please see the situation map of the PIRACY COASTS OF SOMALIA (2011) and the CPU-ARCHIVE
ECOTERRA members can also request the Somali Marine & Coastal Monitor for background info.

- see also HELD HOSTAGE BY PIRATES OFF SOMALIA

and don't forget that SOMALI PIRACY IS CUT-THROAT CAPITALISM

WHAT THE NAVIES OFF SOMALIA NEVER SEE:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/05/fighting_for_control_of_somali.html

What Foreign Soldiers in Somalia and even their Officers Never Seem to Realize:
The Scramble For Somalia

PEACE KEEPERS OR BIOLOGICAL WARFARE AGENTS ?

LATEST:

STILL ALMOST 700 SEAFARERS HELD HOSTAGE IN SOMALIA !
While billions are spend for the navies, the general militarization and mercenaries, still no help is coming forward to pacify and develop the coastal areas of Somalia. Updates on known cases see below in the status section.

Pirate Warning Central Arabian Sea (ecop-marine)
At least one pirated merchant vessel, the newly pirated MV SINAN KUDUS, but also a sea-jacked Iranian fishing vessel and a Pirate Attack Group (PAG) consisting of an Indian dhow and two skiffs are observed in the central Arabian Sea on piracy missions.
All the areas between latitudes 15 and 20 N and longitudes 060 and 064 E are high risk areas in the moment.
Meanwhile the gigantic oil tanker VLCC IRENE SL, who - as we reported earlier- also had been abused by the pirates for a tour into the Arabian Sea, seems to be coming back from that area towards the Somali coast and was last observed today in position 06 54N and 049 26E. In that areas also the danger-prone fuel-oil tanker MV POLAR had been manoevering earlier.

PRESENT DANISH HOSTAGE NEGOTIATIONS BOUND TO FAIL (ecop-marine)
Sources close to the elders of the gang holding the Danish hostages from the sailing yacht SY ING reported today that the present negotations between a Danish delegation in Bosasso and the hostage takers are bound to fail.
According to three separate sources the fact that the Danish delegation operates from Bosaaso in close co-operation with the Puntland government, while the armed forces of that administration had already once attacked the gang unsuccessfully and despite the botched attempt and international as well as local warnings again threatened to attack the hostage takers and their supporters withe armed forces, makes it impossible for the hostage takers to trust the Danish negotiation team.
The Danish team had apparently contact with the hostage takers and according to the Danish Foreign Ministry also spoke to some hostages, but could so far not achieve their release.

- see today also the larger compilation on LIBYA below: The African Union, The Arab League, Russia, China and most countries around the world do NOT support what the U.S.American-led NATO intervention is doing now and see it as the first war waged by the U.S.American "Africa Command" on Africa, which is only supported by those - mainly western European - countries, who had held earlier discussions with one of the so-called opposition figures, who defected from the Lybian government and promised favourable oil deals, if Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi is toppled.
This war is NOT to really liberate the Libyan people.

ENDS

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