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Chinese ship to be freed, Somali pirates say
Mogadishu (AFP) Dec 27, 2009 Somali pirates holding a Chinese cargo ship and its crew of 25 said Sunday they would release the vessel after collecting a ransom of 3.5 million dollars (2.2 million euros) later in the day. The bulk carrier Dexinhai, owned by Qingdao Ocean Shipping, was seized on October 18 northeast of the Seychelles as it was sailing to India from South Africa with a cargo of coal. It was subsequently taken to the Somali coast, between the pirate lairs of Harardere and Hobyo, where it laid at anchor with other captured vessels and negotiations on its fate began. "We have been discussing with the Chinese ship owners for several weeks and they finally agreed to pay 3.5 million dollars," a leader of the pirates, Mohamed Rage, told AFP by telephone. "The money will be brought today so that, we will free the ship within today once we get the money," he said, adding that the all-Chinese crew has been treated "humanely". "The pirates are releasing the cargo today after they get the ransom agreed", a second pirate, Abdi Yare, told AFP by telephone from Harardhere. Abdi Yasin Dhubane, a fisherman in the Harardhere area, said all pirates with a stake in the Dexinhai were seen boarding it on Saturday -- suggesting that a deal had been concluded. "All the pirates who seized the ship are on board now and they are ready to receive the ransom to free the ship," Dhubane said. The Dexinhai was seized more than 1,000 kilometres (550 nautical miles) from the Somali coast, showing the range of action of pirates in the Indian Ocean despite the efforts of a European Union naval task force. Through its foreign ministry, the Chinese government had said it was doing all it could to recover the ship and its crew. On December 17, pirates freed a Greek-flagged cargo ship, the MV Delvina, and its crew of 14 Filipinios and seven Ukrainians, 43 days after it was seized northeast of the Comoros Islands while en route from Ukraine to Kenya. Its Dutch operators said nothing about a ransom, but Russia's Interfax news agency quoted the head of Ukrainian intelligence as saying that 3.5 million dollars -- half of what had been demanded -- was paid. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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'Somali pirates' held by Dutch freed: defence ministryThe Hague (AFP) Dec 17, 2009 A band of suspected Somali pirates captured by the Dutch navy after a failed attack on a cargo ship are to be freed after no country would agree to prosecute them, Dutch officials said Thursday. "The European Union has decided... that the (Dutch warship that captured the pirates) Evertsen must let the 13 Somali pirates go," the Dutch defence ministry said in a statement. "The European ... read more |
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