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Somali piracy peak season at least two more weeks: experts
Nairobi (AFP) April 15, 2009 The unprecedented spate of hijackings by Somali pirates since the start of April is expected to last at least another two weeks on the back of calm sea conditions, experts said Wednesday. "The waves are low right now and the conditions really favourable to the pirates," said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers Assistance Programme. "We expect this to continue for at least another two weeks," he told AFP. Somali pirates have hijacked at least 10 ships since the start of April alone, shattering a relative lull in the first three months of the year. While increased international naval presence in the area was believed to have contributed to the decline in the number of successful attacks compared to 2008, many experts now argue weather was the main factor in the brief downturn. Pirates attacking vessels from small skiffs were hampered by the monsoon season, with high waves often making boarding attempts more perilous. "The pirates have really upped the ante lately and we haven't reached the peak of the calm season yet," said Nick Davis, a maritime security expert who runs a UK-based private company. "We are still on the up cycle and there could be two to three more weeks of this," he told AFP. Somali pirates attacked more than 130 ships in 2008 and hijacked close to 50, wreaking chaos on one of the world's busiest maritime trade routes. The hijacking epidemic and soaring cost of ransom payments spurred the international community into deploying naval missions in the region but pirates have proved their ability to adapt by attacking further out in the Indian Ocean, away from the heavily-patrolled corridors in the Gulf of Aden. They currently hold at least 18 ships and close to 300 seamen to ransom. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Washington, April 13, 2009 U.S. Navy warships supported by helicopter gunships tracked four Somali pirates and their American captive in the Horn of Africa throughout the weekend as American negotiators tried to obtain the release of the hostage. Reports from the region indicated that negotiations had broken down, and on Easter Sunday Navy snipers killed three of the pirates and freed the American, Capt. Richard Phillips, master of the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama. |
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