Pirates Attack More Ships off
Somalia
Friday, November 11, 2005
Reuters has
reported that Somali pirates attacked five more ships this week after a
failed attempt to seize a luxury liner, in a sharp rise of banditry
apparently directed by a mysterious "mother ship" prowling the Indian
Ocean. Most vessels escaped, but one was commandeered, bringing to nine the
number of vessels being held captive along with their crews by pirates
working the lawless southern section of the failed state's coastline, Africa's
longest. Officials said five vessels were attacked this week following
Saturday's attempt to board the Bahamas-registered Seabourn Spirit, which was
carrying 151 Western tourists. Rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles
were fired at the U.S.-owned Spirit by gunmen in two small speedboats, but
the ship's captain managed to change course and speed away. At the center of
the wave of recent attacks is a mysterious, so-called mother ship that has
been spotted three times since late July drifting off the northeast coast of Somalia.
After the failed raid on the Spirit, Mwangura said the pirates apparently
raced back to the "mother ship," which then set off in an
unsuccessful bid to catch the fleeing cruise ship. The International Maritime
Bureau (IMB) said this week the situation was completely out of control and
very dangerous. After two years of relative calm, IMB said 32 pirate attacks
had been recorded since mid-March, including raids on ships carrying supplies
for the U.N. World Food Program. Mwangura said nine ships were being held
hostage by pirates, including vessels registered in Thailand, Taiwan, Malta
and Ukraine. More than 100 crew members were being held for ransom. Somalia
has been ruled by rival warlords since dictator Mohammed Siad Barre was
overthrown in 1991. Many of the warlords are believed to run gangs who
smuggle drugs, weapons and people by road, sea and air around the region. On
Wednesday the UN Security Council scolded Somalia's squabbling government and
urged rival factions to come together to confront the chaos and piracy
plaguing the lawless nation.
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