Investigation is continuing into a possible case of mistaken identity off of the west Coast of INDIA. On 15 February 2012 (1747), reports indicated that the Italian Navy had thwarted pirate attacks against the Enrica Lexie. In that report, the riflemen of the San Marco Batallion acting as a Vessel Protection Detail, engaged what was interpreted to be a threat from pirates around 1230 local time. The article from AGLit is available HERE
Concurrently, the HINDU times reported that "Two fishermen were shot dead in the high seas"(Article available HERE ) off of AMBALAPUHZA on Wednesday evening after having been mistaken for pirates. In both media reports, the name of the vessel (Enrica Lexi) was specifically and clearly identified and it has been indicated that the events were reported to the Coast Guard.
There are significant differences in the reported events. While Italian media are being rather consistent in terms of indicating that soldiers followed procedures for opening fire three times to dissuade the pirates and, after the third volley, the pirates left. The Hindu Times, however, indicated that the vessel was hit by a shower of bullets that lasted about two minutes and, in order to escape the gun fire, they sailed away from the vicinity of the vessel.
Of particular note is that the fishing vessel is reporting that it was within INDIA's territorial waters at the time of the firing. The Indian Coast Guard has indicated that fishing vessels will often come close to merchant vessels in order to prevent them from damaging their nets.
While the loss of life in this case would appear to be both regrettable and difficult to explain until a full investigation has taken place, it serves to illustrate that the use of military forces on board vessels does not preclude events of this nature. This should be clearly understood, particularly given certain groups within the shipping community that are demanding the use of military personnel on board their vessels in lieu of private security personnel.
Showing posts with label attacks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label attacks. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Somalia Piracy - Fox Business News
ISSG Holdings, Ltd. has been selected to appear
on
21st Century Business Television series
Boca Raton, FL (TBD) --- Multi-Media Productions (USA), Inc. is pleased to announce that ISSG Holdings, Ltd. will be featured on 21st Century Business.
ISSG Holdings, Ltd., is an international business company engaged in
merchant vessel protection. We have a solution based mindset providing a
ISSG Holdings, Ltd., are supply chain security specialists with a strong maritime security capacity demonstrated through 4 years of protecting vessels passing through high risk waters. With attacks on vessels in areas such as the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean reaching their highest levels in the last five years and with economies continuing to teeter back and forth between slow growth and recession, it has become more important for shipping companies to be able to assure that they get the cargo to its intended destination, on time, in acceptable condition and at reasonable cost.
merchant vessel protection. We have a solution based mindset providing a
ISSG Holdings, Ltd., are supply chain security specialists with a strong maritime security capacity demonstrated through 4 years of protecting vessels passing through high risk waters. With attacks on vessels in areas such as the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean reaching their highest levels in the last five years and with economies continuing to teeter back and forth between slow growth and recession, it has become more important for shipping companies to be able to assure that they get the cargo to its intended destination, on time, in acceptable condition and at reasonable cost.
.
According to Michael Murrell, CEO of ISSG Holdings, the maritime security industry is at a crossroads. It is not enough for security companies to protect the vessel. They must ensure that they have a broad understanding of the risks involved, take steps to address those risks, and continuously monitor their activities to ensure that their actions do not lead to new risks to the vessel. At the same time, security companies must understand the overall movement of goods—contributing to the effective, and efficient, trade between economies.
ISSG Holdings has built a highly capable network and maintains a leadership role within the maritime security community. ISSG Holdings will, based on an expert assessment of risk and in accordance with the appropriate laws, provide armed security services. These services are delivered using some of the highest trained and most capable maritime security operators—the Marine Commandos (MarCos), a unit that has proven itself in those very waters for years. Through its affiliates, such as ISSG India and ISSG Comoros, the company has been able to attract and maintain a capable team ready to serve the shipping industry
ISSG Holdings has also taken a leadership role in the maritime security industry’s push towards professionalization—a significant effort intended to build a true community of professionals that will ensure that the shipping company’s brand and legal status is also well protected. A significant contributor and vetted corporate member of the International Association of Maritime Security Professionals, it was also one of the first maritime security companies to sign onto the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers. These efforts also include some of its key members participating in senior leadership positions in professional security, first responder, and academic communities.
The combination of these efforts has made ISSG a uniquely capable and credible maritime security service provider today.
J.L Haber VP of Programming at Multi Media Productions, added, “In our search for companies with maritime security solutions, ISSG Holdings, Ltd. stood out as a unique company. We are excited to have them as a guest on our program.”
About 21st Century Business
21st Century Business airs on CNBC (as paid programming) and the Fox Business Network (as paid programming). 21st Century Business may also be viewed through video on demand via www.21cbtv.com. The 21CBTV Series is also available at more than 90 prestigious college universities, including Carnegie Mellon University, Howard University, Dartmouth College and Georgetown University.
For specific market-by-market air dates and times, please e-mail Moniqueh@mmpusa.com. For more information, please visit www.21cbtv.com.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Philippines National Coast Watch System Established
As Reported HERE
National Coast Watch System established
“Enhancing maritime security in the seas that link our country with other neighboring states promotes our national interest.”
Mr. Aquino said the coast watch system will have an initial funding of P20 million.
The new order expands the scope of Coast Watch South, which was tasked mainly to provide maritime security in Mindanao, to cover the entire archipelago. It also abolished the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs.
The Coast Watch System will have a council led by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. as chairman. Its members will include the secretaries of Transportation, National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Interior and Local Government, Justice, Energy, Finance, Environment and Agriculture.
Mr. Aquino said the council will meet at least twice a year, and also each time that the chairman decides a meeting is necessary.
A National Coast Watch Center will coordinate the conduct of maritime surveillance or response operations. The center may also coordinate cross-border and multinational maritime security cooperation and help in prosecuting offenders.
The center may tap the Navy, the Coast Guard, the National Police-Maritime Group, and the National Prosecution Service of the Justice Department, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime for manpower, equipment and material support.
The council and center may accept donations, contributions or grants from domestic or foreign sources subject to government accounting and auditing rules. Joyce Pangco Pañares
www.issg-seamarshals.com
National Coast Watch System established
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III has created a National Coast Watch System to counter the threats to the country’s maritime security.
“The Philippines faces maritime security challenges threatening not only its territorial integrity but the peaceful existence of the Filipinos,” Mr. Aquino said in Executive Order 57.“Enhancing maritime security in the seas that link our country with other neighboring states promotes our national interest.”
Mr. Aquino said the coast watch system will have an initial funding of P20 million.
The new order expands the scope of Coast Watch South, which was tasked mainly to provide maritime security in Mindanao, to cover the entire archipelago. It also abolished the Commission on Maritime and Ocean Affairs.
The Coast Watch System will have a council led by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. as chairman. Its members will include the secretaries of Transportation, National Defense, Foreign Affairs, Interior and Local Government, Justice, Energy, Finance, Environment and Agriculture.
Mr. Aquino said the council will meet at least twice a year, and also each time that the chairman decides a meeting is necessary.
A National Coast Watch Center will coordinate the conduct of maritime surveillance or response operations. The center may also coordinate cross-border and multinational maritime security cooperation and help in prosecuting offenders.
The center may tap the Navy, the Coast Guard, the National Police-Maritime Group, and the National Prosecution Service of the Justice Department, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, and the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime for manpower, equipment and material support.
The council and center may accept donations, contributions or grants from domestic or foreign sources subject to government accounting and auditing rules. Joyce Pangco Pañares
www.issg-seamarshals.com
Friday, July 15, 2011
Pirates Seize Livestock Vessel
As Reported by Reuters
BOSASSO, Somalia (Reuters) - Somali pirates have hijacked a vessel carrying livestock off the shores of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, a local official said.
The vessel was sailing from Bosasso in Somalia and to the United Arab Emirates, Hassan Farah Jamac, Puntland's commerce and industry minister told Reuters late on Thursday.
"It was carrying a lot of goats from Bosasso," Jamac said. "We are very sorry about that. Our forces are now preparing to rescue the boat with the help of the foreign navies."
He gave no details of the number of crew nor their nationalities.
Somali pirate gangs, who can stay out at sea for long periods using captured merchant vessels as mother ships, make tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from seizing ships off the lawless country's waters.
Their use of mother ships has allowed them to venture out as far as the waters off India's coast and Mozambique and, unlike in the past, they can keep sailing even in rough waves during the ongoing monsoon season.
Crude oil tankers sailing in the east and northeast of the Gulf of Aden have been particularly targeted.
An International Maritime Bureau report released on Thursday said despite the increase of attacks off Somalia and other areas, successful hijackings were down, in large part due to massive patrolling by naval fleets.
But it said the pirates, who use machineguns, grenade launchers and other weapons, had become more violent.
BOSASSO, Somalia (Reuters) - Somali pirates have hijacked a vessel carrying livestock off the shores of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, a local official said.
The vessel was sailing from Bosasso in Somalia and to the United Arab Emirates, Hassan Farah Jamac, Puntland's commerce and industry minister told Reuters late on Thursday.
"It was carrying a lot of goats from Bosasso," Jamac said. "We are very sorry about that. Our forces are now preparing to rescue the boat with the help of the foreign navies."
He gave no details of the number of crew nor their nationalities.
Somali pirate gangs, who can stay out at sea for long periods using captured merchant vessels as mother ships, make tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from seizing ships off the lawless country's waters.
Their use of mother ships has allowed them to venture out as far as the waters off India's coast and Mozambique and, unlike in the past, they can keep sailing even in rough waves during the ongoing monsoon season.
Crude oil tankers sailing in the east and northeast of the Gulf of Aden have been particularly targeted.
An International Maritime Bureau report released on Thursday said despite the increase of attacks off Somalia and other areas, successful hijackings were down, in large part due to massive patrolling by naval fleets.
But it said the pirates, who use machineguns, grenade launchers and other weapons, had become more violent.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
BRITISH NAVY FIRED ON OFF SOMALIA
As Reported HERE
BRITISH NAVY IN DANGEROUS ACTION OFF NORTHERN COAST OF SOMALIA
AFRICA 11 July 2011. British Royal Navy warship entangled in domestic affairs skirmish.
A British warship allegedly having the commander of the Somaliland navy and some of his soldiers on board attracted on Saturday serious military fire when it came close to the shore off Laasqoray, the coastal town of Warsangeliland at the Somali shores of the Gulf of Aden. From the foreign warship reportedly one amphibious vessel and two commando boats were launched with the intent to land on the beach.
Local officials, observers and media reported the incident as an unprecedented provocation and attack on the sovereignty of Somalia and specifically of the Warsangeli territory.
Reports indicated earlier last week that a British warship had come to Somaliland’s port city of Berbera where President Ahmed Silanyo reportedly met British officials on board the vessel.
The ship is believed to be a patrol ship that is part of the western-led anti-piracy initiatives along the coasts of Somalia.
While neither EU NAVFOR nor the British navy reported the incident, security forces of Somalia’s breakaway region of Puntland confirmed that they had fired towards a British warship near the coast.
The political background is the long-standing fight between the former British colony of Somaliland in the Northwest of Somalia, which today prefers to be an independent, though internationally not recognized breakaway republic and Puntland, the federal regional state of Somalia, located to the north-east.
Between these two blocks, the land of the Warsangeli and further south the Dulbahante homeland form a buffer zone, which regularly sees skirmishes over the control for these areas, which also contain oil- and other mineral concessions, being fought over between the two blocks.
Somaliland and Puntland are engaged in this long-standing border dispute particularly along the borders of the Sool, Sanaag and Ceyn regions located in the central north of Somalia since 1992.
The latest incident now involved a British naval vessel on a mission with an obviously pro-Somaliland agenda which was countered by forces loyal to the Puntland government as well as by those of the local Warsangeli governance.
The provincial commissioner of Sanaag region, Mohamud Dabayl said the war ship sailed towards Laasqoray, a strategic port town in the North of Somalia which is part of a territory disputed by the Puntland and Somaliland authorities.
"The ship appeared to have been misdirected and its captain may have been told that Laasqoray would be part of Somaliland. It was sailing towards Laasqoray” Dabayl told the local media in Bosaso.
He said Puntland authorities fired warning shots after it emerged that the warship entered their territory without prior notification, an issue regional officials said is a violation of territorial sovereignty and international law.
“Our security forces fired warning shots towards the ship because it was sailing through the coast of Puntland. The warning was to tell the crew that they were not in the territorial waters of Somaliland” he added.
According to the local Hiraan media, the regional commissioner said Puntland security personnel had arrested one person from the ship who was waving the flag of the self declared republic of Somaliland at the time when the warning shots were fired.
Local observers reported that though heavier weapons including RPGs and also small arms fire were directed against the British naval contingent and three of the Somaliland soldiers, who had landed from the British ship on the beach, were arrested, nobody got hurt.
BRITISH NAVY IN DANGEROUS ACTION OFF NORTHERN COAST OF SOMALIA
AFRICA 11 July 2011. British Royal Navy warship entangled in domestic affairs skirmish.
A British warship allegedly having the commander of the Somaliland navy and some of his soldiers on board attracted on Saturday serious military fire when it came close to the shore off Laasqoray, the coastal town of Warsangeliland at the Somali shores of the Gulf of Aden. From the foreign warship reportedly one amphibious vessel and two commando boats were launched with the intent to land on the beach.
Local officials, observers and media reported the incident as an unprecedented provocation and attack on the sovereignty of Somalia and specifically of the Warsangeli territory.
Reports indicated earlier last week that a British warship had come to Somaliland’s port city of Berbera where President Ahmed Silanyo reportedly met British officials on board the vessel.
The ship is believed to be a patrol ship that is part of the western-led anti-piracy initiatives along the coasts of Somalia.
While neither EU NAVFOR nor the British navy reported the incident, security forces of Somalia’s breakaway region of Puntland confirmed that they had fired towards a British warship near the coast.
The political background is the long-standing fight between the former British colony of Somaliland in the Northwest of Somalia, which today prefers to be an independent, though internationally not recognized breakaway republic and Puntland, the federal regional state of Somalia, located to the north-east.
Between these two blocks, the land of the Warsangeli and further south the Dulbahante homeland form a buffer zone, which regularly sees skirmishes over the control for these areas, which also contain oil- and other mineral concessions, being fought over between the two blocks.
Somaliland and Puntland are engaged in this long-standing border dispute particularly along the borders of the Sool, Sanaag and Ceyn regions located in the central north of Somalia since 1992.
The latest incident now involved a British naval vessel on a mission with an obviously pro-Somaliland agenda which was countered by forces loyal to the Puntland government as well as by those of the local Warsangeli governance.
The provincial commissioner of Sanaag region, Mohamud Dabayl said the war ship sailed towards Laasqoray, a strategic port town in the North of Somalia which is part of a territory disputed by the Puntland and Somaliland authorities.
"The ship appeared to have been misdirected and its captain may have been told that Laasqoray would be part of Somaliland. It was sailing towards Laasqoray” Dabayl told the local media in Bosaso.
He said Puntland authorities fired warning shots after it emerged that the warship entered their territory without prior notification, an issue regional officials said is a violation of territorial sovereignty and international law.
“Our security forces fired warning shots towards the ship because it was sailing through the coast of Puntland. The warning was to tell the crew that they were not in the territorial waters of Somaliland” he added.
According to the local Hiraan media, the regional commissioner said Puntland security personnel had arrested one person from the ship who was waving the flag of the self declared republic of Somaliland at the time when the warning shots were fired.
Local observers reported that though heavier weapons including RPGs and also small arms fire were directed against the British naval contingent and three of the Somaliland soldiers, who had landed from the British ship on the beach, were arrested, nobody got hurt.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
IAMSP Endorses Oceanus Live
As Reported HERE
IAMSP is pleased to announce the results of the Technical Evaluation Team’s (TET) review of the OCEANUSLive.org service currently in beta testing and expected to move into full production mode in the near future. This review, undertaken by a team of three persons under the oversight of the President, examined the offering based upon its adherence to the latest and sound principles associated with maritime domain awareness, information and intelligence production, and its utility to the maritime security effort currently underway in the Indian Ocean (and applicable elsewhere).
This review touched on 168 topics that included reviewing the concept, design, fragility, safety, maintenance, life cycle management, risk management and training elements associated with the service being offered and took place over a six week period.
As a result of this effort, it is the assessment of the TET that the service does address a significant need or vulnerability currently evident within the maritime security awareness domain, has demonstrated that (under normal operating conditions) to be consistently reliable and to be reasonable in terms of integration and maintenance within organization’s normal operating routines.
The IAMSP is of the belief, based on sound doctrine and experience, that timely information communication and sharing is an essential element in helping protect our seafarers during higher-risk transits. We further echo the concept that such information sharing must be done across the full community of those seeking to protect our seafarers and add our voice to calls to the various reporting centers and organizations to focus on this important goal.
IAMSP is pleased to announce the results of the Technical Evaluation Team’s (TET) review of the OCEANUSLive.org service currently in beta testing and expected to move into full production mode in the near future. This review, undertaken by a team of three persons under the oversight of the President, examined the offering based upon its adherence to the latest and sound principles associated with maritime domain awareness, information and intelligence production, and its utility to the maritime security effort currently underway in the Indian Ocean (and applicable elsewhere).
This review touched on 168 topics that included reviewing the concept, design, fragility, safety, maintenance, life cycle management, risk management and training elements associated with the service being offered and took place over a six week period.
As a result of this effort, it is the assessment of the TET that the service does address a significant need or vulnerability currently evident within the maritime security awareness domain, has demonstrated that (under normal operating conditions) to be consistently reliable and to be reasonable in terms of integration and maintenance within organization’s normal operating routines.
The IAMSP is of the belief, based on sound doctrine and experience, that timely information communication and sharing is an essential element in helping protect our seafarers during higher-risk transits. We further echo the concept that such information sharing must be done across the full community of those seeking to protect our seafarers and add our voice to calls to the various reporting centers and organizations to focus on this important goal.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
ASF airs outrage at rising attacks on ships
As Reported HERE
SINGAPORE -- The Safe Navigation and Environment Committee (SNEC) of the Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF) has expressed outrage at the increasing number of attacks on their ships and the brutality shown by Somali pirates.
“The current situation, where a handful of pirates can hold the world’s economy hostage, is completely unacceptable as responsible owners and managers, we must take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our seafarers,” said Mr. S. S. Teo, SNEC Chairman in a recent meeting of the Asian shipowners’ associations held in Singapore.
“Not only are seafarers being tortured and murdered civilians and children are being targeted as well. The situation is increasingly untenable.”
It was noted that pirates had attacked 445 ships, hijacked 53 of them and taken 1,181 seafarers hostage worldwide in 2010. Today, about 700 seafarers remain hostages in deplorable conditions off Somalia.
The committee expressed serious concern at the threat posed by pirates to international shipping, particularly in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and in the waters off Somalia.
The committee demands that all governments must act decisively and expeditiously to eradicate piracy and attacks on ships.
While appreciating the assistance and protection provided by the naval forces stationed in the Gulf of Aden presently, the committee does not consider it sustainable in the longer term.
The committee is of the unanimous view that the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) must exercise strong political will to bring the situation under control.
The meeting strongly supports the call by international shipping organizations worldwide to neutralize the threat of the captured, hostage-crewed mother ships that are allowing pirates to roam the Indian Ocean unimpeded.
The committee acknowledges that in addition to complying fully with all the measures put forward in the latest version of Best Management Practices to deter piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Coast of Somalia, which has been developed by the industry, the committee notes and appreciates that individual ASF members may adopt additional safety measures such as the use of armed guards to protect the lives and wellbeing of their seafarers. (EHL)
SINGAPORE -- The Safe Navigation and Environment Committee (SNEC) of the Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF) has expressed outrage at the increasing number of attacks on their ships and the brutality shown by Somali pirates.
“The current situation, where a handful of pirates can hold the world’s economy hostage, is completely unacceptable as responsible owners and managers, we must take all necessary steps to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our seafarers,” said Mr. S. S. Teo, SNEC Chairman in a recent meeting of the Asian shipowners’ associations held in Singapore.
“Not only are seafarers being tortured and murdered civilians and children are being targeted as well. The situation is increasingly untenable.”
It was noted that pirates had attacked 445 ships, hijacked 53 of them and taken 1,181 seafarers hostage worldwide in 2010. Today, about 700 seafarers remain hostages in deplorable conditions off Somalia.
The committee expressed serious concern at the threat posed by pirates to international shipping, particularly in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian Ocean and in the waters off Somalia.
The committee demands that all governments must act decisively and expeditiously to eradicate piracy and attacks on ships.
While appreciating the assistance and protection provided by the naval forces stationed in the Gulf of Aden presently, the committee does not consider it sustainable in the longer term.
The committee is of the unanimous view that the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) must exercise strong political will to bring the situation under control.
The meeting strongly supports the call by international shipping organizations worldwide to neutralize the threat of the captured, hostage-crewed mother ships that are allowing pirates to roam the Indian Ocean unimpeded.
The committee acknowledges that in addition to complying fully with all the measures put forward in the latest version of Best Management Practices to deter piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Coast of Somalia, which has been developed by the industry, the committee notes and appreciates that individual ASF members may adopt additional safety measures such as the use of armed guards to protect the lives and wellbeing of their seafarers. (EHL)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Pirates Knew Samho Jewelry Route in Advance
As Reported HERE
'Pirates knew Samho route in advance'
Wednesday, 02.Feb.2011, 13:24 (GMT+2)
The group of Somali pirates who hijacked the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 15 knew in advance the freighter’s route, Korean investigators said Tuesday.
The group of Somali pirates who hijacked the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 15 knew in advance the freighter’s route, Korean investigators said Tuesday.
On the third day of questioning, a special investigation team, set up at the Coast Guard South Regional Headquarters in Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province, said the 13 Somali pirates ― eight dead and five captured _ specifically targeted the Korean freighter after learning that another ship owned by the same shipping company was released in November last year after paying a huge ransom.
The 300,000-ton Samho Dream was released after being held by Somali pirates for seven months. The company reportedly paid more than $9 million.
``After questioning the five captured Somali pirates brought here for prosecution, we have discovered circumstantial evidence that the pirates specifically went after the Samho Jewelry for a larger sum of money. We think they acquired the information on the Korean freighter in advance and plotted taking it over,’’ a senior official at the investigation team said.
One of five captured pirates stated that the group leader, who was shot dead during the rescue operation by South Korean Navy commandos on Jan. 21, obtained information on the Samho Jewelry and decided to hijack the ship, the official said.
``Where they seized the freighter is more than 2,000 kilometers away from their base. It means that they knew of its route in advance. Our investigation is focused on where and how the pirates acquired such information,’’ he said.
European brokers having access to business-related information of shipping firms have been suspected of providing shipping routes and other data to Somali pirates in return for handsome commissions.
The pirates were also found to have spent 15 days together in a training camp to plot taking over the freighter. Armed with rifles and other weaponry, they rode on a small speedboat and boarded the Samho Jewelry using a ladder.
Since the five pirates were brought to the southern port city of Busan Sunday, they have been grilled by the special investigation team, primarily over how they hijacked the chemical carrier and who shot the 58-year-old captain, who was seriously wounded during the rescue operation. He is currently in intensive care at a hospital in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The ship’s other 20 crewmembers were rescued unharmed.
A pirate named Arai Mahomed had stated that he shot the captain Sunday, but later changed his statement, insisting that he was not the one who pulled the trigger. He even said he had never touched a gun in his life.
With Mahomed and four other pirates continuing to deny the allegation, investigators plan to conduct simultaneous questioning with the Korean sailors scheduled to return at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Some of crew had already said in a written statement that it was Mahomed who shot Seok.
As soon as they arrive here, they will be brought to the investigation headquarters and asked to give a statement about the incident, investigators said.
Meanwhile, one of the pirates named Serum Abdullah expressed a desire to live here as a Korean national, one of the interrogators said. Abdullah, who was a cook before becoming a pirate, said Korea seems to be a nice country. Other pirates also reportedly said the detention center is better than most hotels in Africa.
'Pirates knew Samho route in advance'
Wednesday, 02.Feb.2011, 13:24 (GMT+2)
The group of Somali pirates who hijacked the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 15 knew in advance the freighter’s route, Korean investigators said Tuesday.
The group of Somali pirates who hijacked the 11,500-ton Samho Jewelry in the Arabian Sea on Jan. 15 knew in advance the freighter’s route, Korean investigators said Tuesday.
On the third day of questioning, a special investigation team, set up at the Coast Guard South Regional Headquarters in Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province, said the 13 Somali pirates ― eight dead and five captured _ specifically targeted the Korean freighter after learning that another ship owned by the same shipping company was released in November last year after paying a huge ransom.
The 300,000-ton Samho Dream was released after being held by Somali pirates for seven months. The company reportedly paid more than $9 million.
``After questioning the five captured Somali pirates brought here for prosecution, we have discovered circumstantial evidence that the pirates specifically went after the Samho Jewelry for a larger sum of money. We think they acquired the information on the Korean freighter in advance and plotted taking it over,’’ a senior official at the investigation team said.
One of five captured pirates stated that the group leader, who was shot dead during the rescue operation by South Korean Navy commandos on Jan. 21, obtained information on the Samho Jewelry and decided to hijack the ship, the official said.
``Where they seized the freighter is more than 2,000 kilometers away from their base. It means that they knew of its route in advance. Our investigation is focused on where and how the pirates acquired such information,’’ he said.
European brokers having access to business-related information of shipping firms have been suspected of providing shipping routes and other data to Somali pirates in return for handsome commissions.
The pirates were also found to have spent 15 days together in a training camp to plot taking over the freighter. Armed with rifles and other weaponry, they rode on a small speedboat and boarded the Samho Jewelry using a ladder.
Since the five pirates were brought to the southern port city of Busan Sunday, they have been grilled by the special investigation team, primarily over how they hijacked the chemical carrier and who shot the 58-year-old captain, who was seriously wounded during the rescue operation. He is currently in intensive care at a hospital in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The ship’s other 20 crewmembers were rescued unharmed.
A pirate named Arai Mahomed had stated that he shot the captain Sunday, but later changed his statement, insisting that he was not the one who pulled the trigger. He even said he had never touched a gun in his life.
With Mahomed and four other pirates continuing to deny the allegation, investigators plan to conduct simultaneous questioning with the Korean sailors scheduled to return at 9 a.m. Wednesday. Some of crew had already said in a written statement that it was Mahomed who shot Seok.
As soon as they arrive here, they will be brought to the investigation headquarters and asked to give a statement about the incident, investigators said.
Meanwhile, one of the pirates named Serum Abdullah expressed a desire to live here as a Korean national, one of the interrogators said. Abdullah, who was a cook before becoming a pirate, said Korea seems to be a nice country. Other pirates also reportedly said the detention center is better than most hotels in Africa.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Pirates Breach Safe Room
As Reported HERE
As you can see in this article, the crew had fled to the safe room, and the pirates were able to breach the safe room and take control,
Though the safe room is a valuable tool in anti-piracy, it surely can not be relied upon as the sole protection for the crew.
Pirates off the coast of Somalia captured a German multipurpose vessel with 12 men on board.
The Beluga Nomination, belonging to Bremen-based Beluga Shipping, was traveling from Malta to the port of Masan in South Korea when it was seized Jan. 22 some 800 nautical miles north of the Seychelles, Beluga Shipping said today. The crew of the ship comes from Poland, Ukraine, Russia and the Philippines, the company said.
The Beluga Nomination, built in 2006, is a 9,821 deadweight-ton, multipurpose heavy-lift project-cargo vessel.
Pirates hijacked a record 53 ships and 1,181 crew members in 2010, most of them off Somalia, according to the London-based International Maritime Bureau.
While distress calls were made by the crew to the European anti-pirate mission Atalanta, no warships were in the area at the time, Beluga said.
The ship "is in severe distress and danger," said Beluga, which transports heavy-lift project cargo for the offshore oil and gas industry and to sea-based wind-energy projects.
The crew was able to flee to a security room within the ship when the pirates attacked. Their captors eventually managed to break into the room and take control of the ship, which is now sailing toward Somalia, Beluga said.
As you can see in this article, the crew had fled to the safe room, and the pirates were able to breach the safe room and take control,
Though the safe room is a valuable tool in anti-piracy, it surely can not be relied upon as the sole protection for the crew.
Pirates Seize Beluga Project-Cargo Vessel
Ship 'in severe distress and danger,' shipowner says
The Beluga Nomination, belonging to Bremen-based Beluga Shipping, was traveling from Malta to the port of Masan in South Korea when it was seized Jan. 22 some 800 nautical miles north of the Seychelles, Beluga Shipping said today. The crew of the ship comes from Poland, Ukraine, Russia and the Philippines, the company said.
The Beluga Nomination, built in 2006, is a 9,821 deadweight-ton, multipurpose heavy-lift project-cargo vessel.
Pirates hijacked a record 53 ships and 1,181 crew members in 2010, most of them off Somalia, according to the London-based International Maritime Bureau.
While distress calls were made by the crew to the European anti-pirate mission Atalanta, no warships were in the area at the time, Beluga said.
The ship "is in severe distress and danger," said Beluga, which transports heavy-lift project cargo for the offshore oil and gas industry and to sea-based wind-energy projects.
The crew was able to flee to a security room within the ship when the pirates attacked. Their captors eventually managed to break into the room and take control of the ship, which is now sailing toward Somalia, Beluga said.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Danish Ship Attacked, Status Unkown
As Reported HERE
Danish Cargo Ship Attacked in Gulf of Aden
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
The LEOPARD, managed by Shipcraft, was attacked Wednesday afternoon in the Gulf of Aden. A spokesperson for the company says they received a distress signal and report from the ship that it was being fired upon. There has been no contact with the ship since the distress call.
The ship manager also reports that the 1,780 dwt vessel is equipped with steel plates and barbed wire to protect its windows and doors from pirates.
The Danish Navy is investigating the attack and trying to locate the vessel. While the exact details of the cargo is unknown, Shipcraft’s website says “All vessels under SHIPCRAFT management are carrying dangerous, military and nuclear cargoes, worldwide.” The navy is investigating the hijacking and working to locate the vessel.
The ship’s crew includes four Filipinos and two Danes.
Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
The LEOPARD, managed by Shipcraft, was attacked Wednesday afternoon in the Gulf of Aden. A spokesperson for the company says they received a distress signal and report from the ship that it was being fired upon. There has been no contact with the ship since the distress call.
The ship manager also reports that the 1,780 dwt vessel is equipped with steel plates and barbed wire to protect its windows and doors from pirates.
The Danish Navy is investigating the attack and trying to locate the vessel. While the exact details of the cargo is unknown, Shipcraft’s website says “All vessels under SHIPCRAFT management are carrying dangerous, military and nuclear cargoes, worldwide.” The navy is investigating the hijacking and working to locate the vessel.
The ship’s crew includes four Filipinos and two Danes.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Southern Most Hijacking to Date
As Reported HERE
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates have hijacked a Mozambican-flagged fishing vessel about 200 nautical miles (370 km) southwest of Comoros in the Indian Ocean, the European Union's anti-piracy taskforce said on Saturday.
The capture of the 140-tonne Vega 5 and its 14-strong crew of unknown nationalities is the second successful strike by pirates off the northern tip of Madagascar in a week.
Somali pirates usually operate further north in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia where a lack of central government and an Islamist insurgency has allowed piracy to flourish off the anarchic Horn of Africa nation's shores.
While the pirates frequently venture east around the Seychelles and towards the Maldives they are rarely active south of Tanzania.
"Since late December, Somali pirates have been focusing their activities around Tanzania, Comoros and Madagascar to avoid rougher seas further north," Andrew Mwangura, head of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, told Reuters.
A NATO counter-piracy website reported this week that the hijacked Taiwanese-owned fishing vessel FV Shiuh Fu No 1, seized on December 25, was operating as a pirate "mothership" in the same area off Madagascar.
Pirates are making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from seizing merchant ships in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, despite efforts by foreign navies to clamp down on such attacks.
Somali pirates seize Mozambican fishing boat
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The capture of the 140-tonne Vega 5 and its 14-strong crew of unknown nationalities is the second successful strike by pirates off the northern tip of Madagascar in a week.
Somali pirates usually operate further north in the Gulf of Aden and the waters off Somalia where a lack of central government and an Islamist insurgency has allowed piracy to flourish off the anarchic Horn of Africa nation's shores.
While the pirates frequently venture east around the Seychelles and towards the Maldives they are rarely active south of Tanzania.
"Since late December, Somali pirates have been focusing their activities around Tanzania, Comoros and Madagascar to avoid rougher seas further north," Andrew Mwangura, head of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, told Reuters.
A NATO counter-piracy website reported this week that the hijacked Taiwanese-owned fishing vessel FV Shiuh Fu No 1, seized on December 25, was operating as a pirate "mothership" in the same area off Madagascar.
Pirates are making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from seizing merchant ships in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, despite efforts by foreign navies to clamp down on such attacks.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Nov. 10th Somalia Piracy Report
As Reported HERE
Today, 10. November 2010, 23h00 UTC, at least 29 foreign vessels plus one barge are kept in Somali hands against the will of their owners, while at least 510 hostages or captives - including an elderly British yachting couple, the 5 hostages from Somaliland and a woman and man from a yacht - suffer to be released.
The world and the navies don't get it: Do they not realize that long after Somalia was neglected and only after the navies appeared and interfered at the Horn of Africa the real piracy developed and surged ? Now the situation has reached a new all-time high: Over 500 people held captive. The world holds Somalia hostage and the Somali pirates the world. This vicious circle of aggressive action and the senseless spiral of violence must be broken by peaceful means.
One of the most dangerous ideas (excerpt by Zoltán Grossman)
One of the most dangerous ideas of the 20th century was that "people like us" could not commit atrocities against civilians.
WHAT NAVIES NEVER SEE:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/05/fighting_for_control_of_somali.html
LATEST:
STILL OPEN QUESTIONS ON LATEST YACHT ABDUCTION IN SOMALIA
South-African owned SY CHOIZIL was sea-jacked 31. October 2010 after having left Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
Late Response
Though news had broken much earlier, the case was officially only confirmed on 08. November, whereby the name of the yacht was still either not known or withheld. It is now clear that the yacht is the one-mast sailing yacht SY CHOIZIL, named after the Ile de Choizil an island near still French Mayotte, owned and sailed by South African skipper Peter Eldridge from Richards Bay, who escaped after the yacht was commandeered to Somalia, while his South African team-mates Bruno Pelizzari with partner Deborah were taken off the boat and are still held hostage on land in Southern Somalia.
Open Questions
Questions are still open concerning a possible fourth person on board or a second yacht, because reports still speak of a man having been killed in Baraawa (Brawa).
Pirates, several residents and al-Shabaab members, who also control Baraawe, had told Reuters on 07. November that a hostage had been shot dead, but that maybe referred to the skipper, who had disappeared from local peoples's view and was picked up by the navies. He either jumped overboard in the naval swoop or - compared with other hostage cases in Somalia more unlikely - was allowed to stay back on the yacht when the hostage takers left the boat with the couple.
While the South African International Relations and Cooperation Department had confirmed that no South African man was killed in the incident, the Spokesman for the department, Saul Molobi, would only say the man killed was not South African.
Per Klingvall, spokesman for EU NAVFOR, however, said the anti-piracy task force had no information about anyone being killed, and that the rescued yachtsman had not been shot.
In the case of the sea-jacked, allegedly drug-smuggling yacht SY SERENITY,which was then even used in a string af attacks on first Thai fishing vessels and then the U.S. American container vessel MAERSK ALABAMA, the existence of a fourth man on board and his identity were withheld by the authorities for still unknown reasons. His presence was only officially acknowledged after the Seychelles staged a release operation with the exchange of Somali prisoners and a ransom payment, which in itself hit several snags, because it was - according to security sources - executed in a totally unprofessional way.
In addition there were in the beginning of the ordeal reports by news-wires not only of a man being shot but also that a woman and a boy had been taken hostage, which confused the picture.
Pelizzari’s family members and government authorities say Pelizzari, a South African of Italian origin, is described as being a small man, so it could have been assumed that a teenager was kidnapped. His girlfriend Deborah is said to be South-African of British decent.
Disputed Location of Attack
Early pieces of information originating from the Seychelles through the Seafarer's networks indicated that a sailing yacht with three persons had possibly been abducted either from the Seychelles, Kenya or off Baraawa (Brawa) in Somalia.
However, a press release from the Office of the Seychelles Minister for Home Affairs, Environment and Transport, Minister Joel Morgan, stated on 09. November that the Seychelles Coast Guard and the EU NAVFOR Atalanta representative in Seychelles have confirmed that the yacht was not taken hostage in Seychelles waters, but that the incident took place in Kenyan waters. Likewise the International Relations Department officials in Pretoria and European Union authorities have also said the yacht was captured by pirates off the coast of Kenya.
But South African yachtsman, Peter Olivier, who is from Cape Town while he now lives in the Tanzanian capital of Dar-es-Salaam, still cannot understand why his friends are said to have been attacked further north and off Kenya and not on their way south from Dar es Salaam, since they had planned to sail south to dock the yacht in Richards Bay in South Africa. He himself would nearly have been on that yacht, but had to pull out of the sailing trip with the three fellow South Africans due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. Olivier said: “I am not going to say I am relieved it wasn’t me. Instead, I feel really sorry for Bruno and Deborah."
Also Barry Turner, commodore at the Bluff Yacht Club in South Africa, where the couple from Cape Town were members, said the two were at the moment assisting another yachtsman in bringing a vessel back to Richard’s Bay in South Africa.
Though the skipper refused to speak to the media it is believed that he had been debriefed by the navies and other officials, who released their statements with naming Kenyan waters as the location where the attack had allegedly taken place. However, why the yacht, which was supposed to sail from Dar es Salaam south to South Africa should have gone North to Kenya and then allegedly encountered the pirates there, was not explained by any of the official statements nor the owner.
Other naval sources, however, still maintain that the attack took place on the open sea at the boundary between Tanzania and Mozambique.
Attack
Both present hostages, Bruno Pelizzari and his girlfriend "Debbie", were on board when the yacht under the command of Peter Endrigde headed back to Richards Bay from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania on October 21 or 22. Together with the skipper and owner of the yacht, the trio are said to have then encountered the pirates on 31. October 2010 in the open sea.
At least one of the attacking pirates appeared to have been from Tanzania and spoke KiSwahili. However, the sloop rigged sailing yacht set up for long distance cruising was then commandeered to Somalia by five Somalis - apparently with the aim to reach Harardheere at the Central Somali coast.
First sight
When observers had on 04. November a sighting of a yacht near the Bajuni Island of Koyaama at the Southern coast of Somalia, the search for a missing yacht was on in order to identify the boat and the sailors, but neither the Seychelles nor the network of yachts-people reported any missing yacht, though at that point already even the involvement of a second yacht could not be ruled out - according to an observer from ECOTERRA Intl.
Navies were then trailing the yacht at least since 04. November.
Navies get active
The fleeing yacht was forced by the pursuing navies to come close to Baraawa (Brawa). There the yacht had "officially" again been located by the EU NAVFOR warship FS FLOREAL on 6 November when it was "discovered to be sailing suspiciously close to shore", so the statement. Despite numerous unsuccessful attempts to contact the yacht, including a flypast by the warship’s helicopter, allegedly no answer was received and the French warship launched her boarding team to investigate further, a EU NAVFOR statement revealed and it was also officially stated that they had received a mayday signal. Why only then and not much earlier has so far not been explained.
After a direct chase by naval forces escalating the situation and the yacht running aground, SY CHOIZIL's skipper Peter reportedly jumped over board during a close naval swoop, when also shots were fired and a naval helicopter and a commando team in a speedboat were engaged. Other reports state the owner of the yacht, Peter Eldridge, managed to escape when he refused to leave the boat he built with his own hands 20 years ago. “I can understand why Peter, after all that hard work on his boat, would say: ‘No way are you taking my boat and I’m not getting off’,” said Jannie Smit, a friend. It is however highly unlikely that the hostage takers would have allowed him to just stay behind.
Peter Eldridge was later picked up by the navy and was placed into safety on a Dutch naval vessel. He is confirmed to be a South-African by nationality and his next of kin were informed immediately. After he then arrived at the Kenyan harbour of Mombasa on board the Dutch warship, he was handed over to South African officials and brought to Kenya's capital Nairobi on Monday, from where he returned already to South-Africa.
South Africa's High Commissioner to Kenya, Ndumiso Ntshinga, said he had been in contact with the rescued yachtsman on Monday and confirmed the two captives, a man and a woman, were both also South African citizens.
Background
Barry Turner said the two, who are now the hostages, had set off for Madagascar a year ago.
Bruno Pelizzari, in his 50s, worked earlier for a company that serviced lifts. He started sailing 5 or 6 years ago and according to a friend, they left Durban on a yacht about a year ago to explore the open seas and look for work. The couple met Peter Eldridge, an engineer, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who wanted to.sail his yacht from Dar es Salaam for KwaZulu-Natal, because the yacht was in need of repairs. Fellow yachtsman Peter Olivier stated: "They are such nice people and they love sailing. Peter is a great guy and is experienced. Bruno is a quiet man but really nice. They are good people."
Pelizzari’s family said on Monday that the two were still captive in Somalia and International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane confirmed officially that the two South Africans were abducted.
The family, according to a South African news agency, is frustrated at not being able to get detailed information on Pelizzari’s welfare, and is deeply concerned for his safety.
Vera Pelizzari, Bruno’s sister, was worried about information being stifled and her brother’s plight then not being properly attended to and added: “We simply do not have the money to pay for ransom.”
Neither Pelizzari nor Debbie’s family have money for a ransom, a friend said on Tuesday.
Fate of the Yacht
Andrew Mwangura, co-ordinator of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, said earlier he assumed the yacht had been towed to Mombasa, but latest information ECOTERRA Intl. received from Somalia say the yacht was left behind by the naval forces. Peter Eldridge's wife, Bernadette, told then the South African Times that she did not know whether her husband Peter would return to Somalia to retrieve what's left of his yacht, SY Choizil, which was run aground by the pirates.
The German skipper Juergen Kantner, who had been sea-jacked together with partner Sabine on SY ROCKALL in the Gulf of Aden and who was later released from the mountainous hide-out of the hostage takers in Puntland after a ransom was paid, returned to where his yacht had been taken, repaired his boat and only home in the Somaliland harbour of Berbera and - though they had to encounter some further bad luck when a mobile-phone mast fell during a storm onto the yacht just the day before the planned departure - later sailed against all odds off via Aden in Yemen to continue the planned dream-voyage to Malaysia, where they arrived safely.
Appeal
"We only can hope that the different reports speaking of the killing of one man, whereby at present nobody can say if that had been caused by the naval interaction or by the pirates or if it is mixed with another case, will turn out to be not correct at all," said a spokesman from ECOTERRA Intl. on 07. November, adding: "and we hope and urge the local elders to ensure that the innocent woman and man will be set free immediately."
Since the Al-Shabaab administration, who governs the vast areas in Southern Somalia, where the ancient coastal town of Baraawe (Brawa) is located, had earlier openly condemned any act of piracy, it is hoped that a safe and unconditional release of the hostages can be achieved.
With several reports from Somalia and other sources, saying the skipper of the South-African sailing yacht jumped over board and was picked up by naval forces, while 2 people were confirmed by EU NAVFOR as having been abducted, and local sources still insist that one person had been killed, it however could be possible that another person was on board earlier and was killed in the ensuing havoc or a case concerning a second yacht must be investigated.
Naval sources, however, say that Bruno Pelizzari and Deborah “walked” off with the pirates from the grounded yacht, and at that stage at least they appeared to have been unharmed.
Efforts
The naval command of the European Operation Atalanta stated on Tuesday that the whereabouts of the other two crew members is currently unknown, despite a comprehensive search by an EU NAVFOR helicopter.
Karl Otto of the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Cape Town said Monday to IOL that the Department of International Relations and Co-operation was handling the hostage situation.
“They’ve got a couple of people who may be negotiating. We’ve been told to pass on any information to them,” Otto said.
Unfortunately, Bruno Pelizzari and his partner Deborah are reportedly at present still held hostage south of Baraawa (Brawa) and no ransom demands have been made. International Relations and Co-operation spokesperson Saul Kgomotso Molobi confirmed Wednesday the pirates had not yet made any ransom demand.
The families of the Durban couple are sick with worry while they wait to hear from the kidnappers.
Other Cases
In a sad and tragic precedent at the beginning of April 2009, the skipper of French yacht SY TANIT, Cpt. Florent Lemacon, was admittedly but apparently accidentally killed by French troopers in an ill-advised and blotched rescue attempt off the peninsula of Hafun on the North-Eastern Indian Ocean coast of Somalia. His wife and 3-year old son survived. The investigations and court procedures on this case have not been concluded, since the actions of the French naval forces have been shrouded in secrecy.
Thereafter in October 2008, the yacht SY LYNN RIVAL was abducted in the Indian Ocean. This is the boat from which the British sailors Paul and Rachel Chandler were captured on their trip from the Seychelles to Tanzania. Though the elderly couple survived also their transfer to first another ship, whereby the British Royal navy was watching - but had to hold back from any action for obvious reasons - and then to land, the two are now held since over a year hostage, while the case has been neglected and is surrounded by deals gone sour. While most serious media seem to have been muzzled on this case, a recent article in the British gutter-press, which also gave a false record of the events, demonstrated only once more the neglect which characterizes the fate of these British citizens since they were taken hostage by an unscrupulous gang.
Today, 10. November 2010, 23h00 UTC, at least 29 foreign vessels plus one barge are kept in Somali hands against the will of their owners, while at least 510 hostages or captives - including an elderly British yachting couple, the 5 hostages from Somaliland and a woman and man from a yacht - suffer to be released.
The world and the navies don't get it: Do they not realize that long after Somalia was neglected and only after the navies appeared and interfered at the Horn of Africa the real piracy developed and surged ? Now the situation has reached a new all-time high: Over 500 people held captive. The world holds Somalia hostage and the Somali pirates the world. This vicious circle of aggressive action and the senseless spiral of violence must be broken by peaceful means.
One of the most dangerous ideas (excerpt by Zoltán Grossman)
One of the most dangerous ideas of the 20th century was that "people like us" could not commit atrocities against civilians.
- German and Japanese citizens believed it, but their militaries slaughtered millions of people.
- British and French citizens believed it, but their militaries fought brutal colonial wars in Africa and Asia.
- Russian citizens believed it, but their armies murdered civilians in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and elsewhere.
- Israeli citizens believed it, but their army mowed down Palestinians and Lebanese.
- Arabs believed it, but suicide bombers and hijackers targeted U.S. and Israeli civilians.
- U.S. citizens believed it, but their military killed hundreds of thousands in Vietnam, Iraq, and elsewhere.
WHAT NAVIES NEVER SEE:
http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/05/fighting_for_control_of_somali.html
LATEST:
STILL OPEN QUESTIONS ON LATEST YACHT ABDUCTION IN SOMALIA
South-African owned SY CHOIZIL was sea-jacked 31. October 2010 after having left Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
Late Response
Though news had broken much earlier, the case was officially only confirmed on 08. November, whereby the name of the yacht was still either not known or withheld. It is now clear that the yacht is the one-mast sailing yacht SY CHOIZIL, named after the Ile de Choizil an island near still French Mayotte, owned and sailed by South African skipper Peter Eldridge from Richards Bay, who escaped after the yacht was commandeered to Somalia, while his South African team-mates Bruno Pelizzari with partner Deborah were taken off the boat and are still held hostage on land in Southern Somalia.
Open Questions
Questions are still open concerning a possible fourth person on board or a second yacht, because reports still speak of a man having been killed in Baraawa (Brawa).
Pirates, several residents and al-Shabaab members, who also control Baraawe, had told Reuters on 07. November that a hostage had been shot dead, but that maybe referred to the skipper, who had disappeared from local peoples's view and was picked up by the navies. He either jumped overboard in the naval swoop or - compared with other hostage cases in Somalia more unlikely - was allowed to stay back on the yacht when the hostage takers left the boat with the couple.
While the South African International Relations and Cooperation Department had confirmed that no South African man was killed in the incident, the Spokesman for the department, Saul Molobi, would only say the man killed was not South African.
Per Klingvall, spokesman for EU NAVFOR, however, said the anti-piracy task force had no information about anyone being killed, and that the rescued yachtsman had not been shot.
In the case of the sea-jacked, allegedly drug-smuggling yacht SY SERENITY,which was then even used in a string af attacks on first Thai fishing vessels and then the U.S. American container vessel MAERSK ALABAMA, the existence of a fourth man on board and his identity were withheld by the authorities for still unknown reasons. His presence was only officially acknowledged after the Seychelles staged a release operation with the exchange of Somali prisoners and a ransom payment, which in itself hit several snags, because it was - according to security sources - executed in a totally unprofessional way.
In addition there were in the beginning of the ordeal reports by news-wires not only of a man being shot but also that a woman and a boy had been taken hostage, which confused the picture.
Pelizzari’s family members and government authorities say Pelizzari, a South African of Italian origin, is described as being a small man, so it could have been assumed that a teenager was kidnapped. His girlfriend Deborah is said to be South-African of British decent.
Disputed Location of Attack
Early pieces of information originating from the Seychelles through the Seafarer's networks indicated that a sailing yacht with three persons had possibly been abducted either from the Seychelles, Kenya or off Baraawa (Brawa) in Somalia.
However, a press release from the Office of the Seychelles Minister for Home Affairs, Environment and Transport, Minister Joel Morgan, stated on 09. November that the Seychelles Coast Guard and the EU NAVFOR Atalanta representative in Seychelles have confirmed that the yacht was not taken hostage in Seychelles waters, but that the incident took place in Kenyan waters. Likewise the International Relations Department officials in Pretoria and European Union authorities have also said the yacht was captured by pirates off the coast of Kenya.
But South African yachtsman, Peter Olivier, who is from Cape Town while he now lives in the Tanzanian capital of Dar-es-Salaam, still cannot understand why his friends are said to have been attacked further north and off Kenya and not on their way south from Dar es Salaam, since they had planned to sail south to dock the yacht in Richards Bay in South Africa. He himself would nearly have been on that yacht, but had to pull out of the sailing trip with the three fellow South Africans due to a ruptured Achilles tendon. Olivier said: “I am not going to say I am relieved it wasn’t me. Instead, I feel really sorry for Bruno and Deborah."
Also Barry Turner, commodore at the Bluff Yacht Club in South Africa, where the couple from Cape Town were members, said the two were at the moment assisting another yachtsman in bringing a vessel back to Richard’s Bay in South Africa.
Though the skipper refused to speak to the media it is believed that he had been debriefed by the navies and other officials, who released their statements with naming Kenyan waters as the location where the attack had allegedly taken place. However, why the yacht, which was supposed to sail from Dar es Salaam south to South Africa should have gone North to Kenya and then allegedly encountered the pirates there, was not explained by any of the official statements nor the owner.
Other naval sources, however, still maintain that the attack took place on the open sea at the boundary between Tanzania and Mozambique.
Attack
Both present hostages, Bruno Pelizzari and his girlfriend "Debbie", were on board when the yacht under the command of Peter Endrigde headed back to Richards Bay from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania on October 21 or 22. Together with the skipper and owner of the yacht, the trio are said to have then encountered the pirates on 31. October 2010 in the open sea.
At least one of the attacking pirates appeared to have been from Tanzania and spoke KiSwahili. However, the sloop rigged sailing yacht set up for long distance cruising was then commandeered to Somalia by five Somalis - apparently with the aim to reach Harardheere at the Central Somali coast.
First sight
When observers had on 04. November a sighting of a yacht near the Bajuni Island of Koyaama at the Southern coast of Somalia, the search for a missing yacht was on in order to identify the boat and the sailors, but neither the Seychelles nor the network of yachts-people reported any missing yacht, though at that point already even the involvement of a second yacht could not be ruled out - according to an observer from ECOTERRA Intl.
Navies were then trailing the yacht at least since 04. November.
Navies get active
The fleeing yacht was forced by the pursuing navies to come close to Baraawa (Brawa). There the yacht had "officially" again been located by the EU NAVFOR warship FS FLOREAL on 6 November when it was "discovered to be sailing suspiciously close to shore", so the statement. Despite numerous unsuccessful attempts to contact the yacht, including a flypast by the warship’s helicopter, allegedly no answer was received and the French warship launched her boarding team to investigate further, a EU NAVFOR statement revealed and it was also officially stated that they had received a mayday signal. Why only then and not much earlier has so far not been explained.
After a direct chase by naval forces escalating the situation and the yacht running aground, SY CHOIZIL's skipper Peter reportedly jumped over board during a close naval swoop, when also shots were fired and a naval helicopter and a commando team in a speedboat were engaged. Other reports state the owner of the yacht, Peter Eldridge, managed to escape when he refused to leave the boat he built with his own hands 20 years ago. “I can understand why Peter, after all that hard work on his boat, would say: ‘No way are you taking my boat and I’m not getting off’,” said Jannie Smit, a friend. It is however highly unlikely that the hostage takers would have allowed him to just stay behind.
Peter Eldridge was later picked up by the navy and was placed into safety on a Dutch naval vessel. He is confirmed to be a South-African by nationality and his next of kin were informed immediately. After he then arrived at the Kenyan harbour of Mombasa on board the Dutch warship, he was handed over to South African officials and brought to Kenya's capital Nairobi on Monday, from where he returned already to South-Africa.
South Africa's High Commissioner to Kenya, Ndumiso Ntshinga, said he had been in contact with the rescued yachtsman on Monday and confirmed the two captives, a man and a woman, were both also South African citizens.
Background
Barry Turner said the two, who are now the hostages, had set off for Madagascar a year ago.
Bruno Pelizzari, in his 50s, worked earlier for a company that serviced lifts. He started sailing 5 or 6 years ago and according to a friend, they left Durban on a yacht about a year ago to explore the open seas and look for work. The couple met Peter Eldridge, an engineer, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, who wanted to.sail his yacht from Dar es Salaam for KwaZulu-Natal, because the yacht was in need of repairs. Fellow yachtsman Peter Olivier stated: "They are such nice people and they love sailing. Peter is a great guy and is experienced. Bruno is a quiet man but really nice. They are good people."
Pelizzari’s family said on Monday that the two were still captive in Somalia and International Relations and Co-operation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane confirmed officially that the two South Africans were abducted.
The family, according to a South African news agency, is frustrated at not being able to get detailed information on Pelizzari’s welfare, and is deeply concerned for his safety.
Vera Pelizzari, Bruno’s sister, was worried about information being stifled and her brother’s plight then not being properly attended to and added: “We simply do not have the money to pay for ransom.”
Neither Pelizzari nor Debbie’s family have money for a ransom, a friend said on Tuesday.
Fate of the Yacht
Andrew Mwangura, co-ordinator of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme, said earlier he assumed the yacht had been towed to Mombasa, but latest information ECOTERRA Intl. received from Somalia say the yacht was left behind by the naval forces. Peter Eldridge's wife, Bernadette, told then the South African Times that she did not know whether her husband Peter would return to Somalia to retrieve what's left of his yacht, SY Choizil, which was run aground by the pirates.
The German skipper Juergen Kantner, who had been sea-jacked together with partner Sabine on SY ROCKALL in the Gulf of Aden and who was later released from the mountainous hide-out of the hostage takers in Puntland after a ransom was paid, returned to where his yacht had been taken, repaired his boat and only home in the Somaliland harbour of Berbera and - though they had to encounter some further bad luck when a mobile-phone mast fell during a storm onto the yacht just the day before the planned departure - later sailed against all odds off via Aden in Yemen to continue the planned dream-voyage to Malaysia, where they arrived safely.
Appeal
"We only can hope that the different reports speaking of the killing of one man, whereby at present nobody can say if that had been caused by the naval interaction or by the pirates or if it is mixed with another case, will turn out to be not correct at all," said a spokesman from ECOTERRA Intl. on 07. November, adding: "and we hope and urge the local elders to ensure that the innocent woman and man will be set free immediately."
Since the Al-Shabaab administration, who governs the vast areas in Southern Somalia, where the ancient coastal town of Baraawe (Brawa) is located, had earlier openly condemned any act of piracy, it is hoped that a safe and unconditional release of the hostages can be achieved.
With several reports from Somalia and other sources, saying the skipper of the South-African sailing yacht jumped over board and was picked up by naval forces, while 2 people were confirmed by EU NAVFOR as having been abducted, and local sources still insist that one person had been killed, it however could be possible that another person was on board earlier and was killed in the ensuing havoc or a case concerning a second yacht must be investigated.
Naval sources, however, say that Bruno Pelizzari and Deborah “walked” off with the pirates from the grounded yacht, and at that stage at least they appeared to have been unharmed.
Efforts
The naval command of the European Operation Atalanta stated on Tuesday that the whereabouts of the other two crew members is currently unknown, despite a comprehensive search by an EU NAVFOR helicopter.
Karl Otto of the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Cape Town said Monday to IOL that the Department of International Relations and Co-operation was handling the hostage situation.
“They’ve got a couple of people who may be negotiating. We’ve been told to pass on any information to them,” Otto said.
Unfortunately, Bruno Pelizzari and his partner Deborah are reportedly at present still held hostage south of Baraawa (Brawa) and no ransom demands have been made. International Relations and Co-operation spokesperson Saul Kgomotso Molobi confirmed Wednesday the pirates had not yet made any ransom demand.
The families of the Durban couple are sick with worry while they wait to hear from the kidnappers.
Other Cases
In a sad and tragic precedent at the beginning of April 2009, the skipper of French yacht SY TANIT, Cpt. Florent Lemacon, was admittedly but apparently accidentally killed by French troopers in an ill-advised and blotched rescue attempt off the peninsula of Hafun on the North-Eastern Indian Ocean coast of Somalia. His wife and 3-year old son survived. The investigations and court procedures on this case have not been concluded, since the actions of the French naval forces have been shrouded in secrecy.
Thereafter in October 2008, the yacht SY LYNN RIVAL was abducted in the Indian Ocean. This is the boat from which the British sailors Paul and Rachel Chandler were captured on their trip from the Seychelles to Tanzania. Though the elderly couple survived also their transfer to first another ship, whereby the British Royal navy was watching - but had to hold back from any action for obvious reasons - and then to land, the two are now held since over a year hostage, while the case has been neglected and is surrounded by deals gone sour. While most serious media seem to have been muzzled on this case, a recent article in the British gutter-press, which also gave a false record of the events, demonstrated only once more the neglect which characterizes the fate of these British citizens since they were taken hostage by an unscrupulous gang.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Ocean Shield vs US Navy
I had found it a bit curious that there are two piracy reports from
two different entities with the following:
THIS REPORT FROM OCEAN SHIELD:
Geographical Subregion: 61 Geographical Location:
12° 12' 00" S
64° 53' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES
Victim: MERCHANT VESSEL
Description:
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Merchant vessel attacked in
12-12S 064-53E at 300232Z Oct.
Vessels may have been hijacked.
Vessels are advised to keep 100 miles clear of this position
THIS REPORT FROM GEO SPACIAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY:
October 30 2010
WARNING Indian Ocean
Latitude: 12°12N Longitude: 064°53E
Alert number 454 / 2010.
At 0232 UTC on the 30 OCT a merchant vessel
was attacked by 2 skiffs in position 12°12N 064°53E.
** This Vessel is Pirated **
Now it is obvious that one report is wrong. What would be the odds
of two piracy hijackings with the identical coordinates, but one as
12-12N and one as 12-12S but both having the exact same East Coordinate
on the exact same day? Just for thought on accuracy of reporting.
two different entities with the following:
THIS REPORT FROM OCEAN SHIELD:
Geographical Subregion: 61 Geographical Location:
12° 12' 00" S
64° 53' 00" E
Aggressor: PIRATES
Victim: MERCHANT VESSEL
Description:
WESTERN INDIAN OCEAN: Merchant vessel attacked in
12-12S 064-53E at 300232Z Oct.
Vessels may have been hijacked.
Vessels are advised to keep 100 miles clear of this position
THIS REPORT FROM GEO SPACIAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY:
October 30 2010
WARNING Indian Ocean
Latitude: 12°12N Longitude: 064°53E
Alert number 454 / 2010.
At 0232 UTC on the 30 OCT a merchant vessel
was attacked by 2 skiffs in position 12°12N 064°53E.
** This Vessel is Pirated **
Now it is obvious that one report is wrong. What would be the odds
of two piracy hijackings with the identical coordinates, but one as
12-12N and one as 12-12S but both having the exact same East Coordinate
on the exact same day? Just for thought on accuracy of reporting.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Taiwanese Vessel Hijacked
As Reported Here
By Press TV:
Coordinator of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Program, Andrew Mwangura, said that FV Feng Guo was seized 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of Mauritius.
The waters off the Indian Ocean coast of Somalia are considered the world's most dangerous due to rising piracy.
The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for more than 20,000 vessels going from Asia to Europe and the Americas every year.
However, attacks by heavily armed Somali pirates in speedboats have prompted some of the world's largest shipping firms to switch routes from the Suez Canal and send cargo vessels around southern Africa, causing a hike in shipping costs.
Somalia, located in the strategic Horn of Africa, does not have a functional government and the Transitional Federal Government does not have much control beyond the capital city Mogadishu.
www.issg-seamarshals.com
By Press TV:
Suspected Somali pirates have hijacked a Taiwanese fishing vessel with fourteen crew members onboard in the Indian Ocean, a piracy-monitoring group says.
Coordinator of the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Program, Andrew Mwangura, said that FV Feng Guo was seized 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of Mauritius.
The waters off the Indian Ocean coast of Somalia are considered the world's most dangerous due to rising piracy.
The Gulf of Aden, which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea, is the quickest route for more than 20,000 vessels going from Asia to Europe and the Americas every year.
However, attacks by heavily armed Somali pirates in speedboats have prompted some of the world's largest shipping firms to switch routes from the Suez Canal and send cargo vessels around southern Africa, causing a hike in shipping costs.
Somalia, located in the strategic Horn of Africa, does not have a functional government and the Transitional Federal Government does not have much control beyond the capital city Mogadishu.
www.issg-seamarshals.com
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Asphalt Carrier Hijacked Off of Tanzania
As Reported HERE
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
Early Wednesday, a Panama-flagged chemical tanker was hijacked off the Tanzanian coast.
The MT ASPHALT VENTURE was sailing from the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Durban in South Africa when it was boarded by pirates around 4 a.m. local time. The vessel is now headed towards Harardhere, a well known pirate base in Somalia.
The ship, with an Indian crew of 15, is managed by Mumbai-based Omci Ship Management Pvt and owned by Bitumen Invest AS of United Arab Emirates.
There have been a number of unsuccessful attacks in this area over the last few days in this areabut now a hijacking
Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
Early Wednesday, a Panama-flagged chemical tanker was hijacked off the Tanzanian coast.
The MT ASPHALT VENTURE was sailing from the Kenyan port of Mombasa to Durban in South Africa when it was boarded by pirates around 4 a.m. local time. The vessel is now headed towards Harardhere, a well known pirate base in Somalia.
The ship, with an Indian crew of 15, is managed by Mumbai-based Omci Ship Management Pvt and owned by Bitumen Invest AS of United Arab Emirates.
There have been a number of unsuccessful attacks in this area over the last few days in this areabut now a hijacking
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Another Ship Hijacked out of IRTC
As Reported Here
NAIROBI, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Pirates have hijacked a Maltese-flagged merchant vessel off the coast of Somalia, the European Union's anti-piracy taskforce said on Wednesday.
The MV OLIB G was seized while it was sailing west in the internationally recommended transit corridor through the Gulf of Aden, EU NAVFOR said.
The vessel has 18 crew members, 15 Georgians and 3 Turks.
"The USS Princeton warship of Task Force 151 launched its helicopter. The helicopter was able to identify two pirates on board MV OLIB G," EU NAVFOR said in a statement.
Heavy seas in the last few months have seen a sharp decline in the number of piracy attacks off the Horn of Africa nation. (Reporting by Richard Lough)
NAIROBI, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Pirates have hijacked a Maltese-flagged merchant vessel off the coast of Somalia, the European Union's anti-piracy taskforce said on Wednesday.
The MV OLIB G was seized while it was sailing west in the internationally recommended transit corridor through the Gulf of Aden, EU NAVFOR said.
The vessel has 18 crew members, 15 Georgians and 3 Turks.
"The USS Princeton warship of Task Force 151 launched its helicopter. The helicopter was able to identify two pirates on board MV OLIB G," EU NAVFOR said in a statement.
Heavy seas in the last few months have seen a sharp decline in the number of piracy attacks off the Horn of Africa nation. (Reporting by Richard Lough)
Friday, May 21, 2010
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Piracy Attacks more than double?
I had some thoughts in regards to the numbers that have been floating around on piracy reporting in the Horn of Africa region, as compared with this year and last year. Last year the number of reported piracy attacks in the region are about 111 total attacks with about 42 hijackings for the year. This year, there have been approximately 32 hijackings with about 250 reported attacks for the same area, being the Gulf of Aden and the East Coast of Africa.
The reported hijackings are probably pretty factual, however, my thoughts are on the
supposed increase in attacks. When looking at the Live Piracy map by the IMB as a basis, I can see that the reported attacks of course have gone up dramatically, however, for some reason, the reported sightings of “suspicious” vessels stands at only three. This is what caught my eye and started my thought process as to the reality of attacks. The IMB admits that less than 50% of attacks are reported to the IMB, as merchant vessels are not 'required' to report attacks. Through a few informal talks with seaman, I found that the only attacks that are normally reported, are those that result in significant damage to the vessel, serious injury to a crew member, or of course, the actual successful hijacking itself. This is mostly due to the desire to maintain an 'incident free' situation with insurance
carriers, and the fact that if an attack is reported, the vessel may be held up for inspection causing unnecessary time delays and other matters with some port authorities. I have come to a few conclusions or a theory as to why the numbers have jumped significantly, and how the reporting of this can be very misleading. First we will start with the reporting. Most articles or reports, are missing one key element, and that is the word “REPORTED.” When the article is written or given on television, it is given that the number of attacks has significantly risen in the region. They are not taking into account that it is the number of Reported attacks has risen.
If you look at the numbers of reported attacks for the region, it is well over 100%
increase in the reported attacks, and we are not even finished with the year. However, the most interesting element, is if the attacks had actually increased, then the number of sightings of suspicious vessels would have increased dramatically as well. This significant increase in reported attacks coincides with the naval presence in the region. The navy ships are compelled to report all activity, to include calls for help by merchant vessels being attacked by pirates. n. However, the merchant vessels are not reporting a significant increase in the sightings of suspicious vessels. In order for the number of attacks to have literally increased over 100%, there would have to be a significant increase in actual pirate boats and pirates themselves. Almost all reported attacks involve about two skiffs, sometimes three and sometimes one. Therefore, there would have to be twice as many pirates on the water for the figures to match. I therefore conclude that the attack rate has not risen significantly, merely the reporting of the attacks has risen significantly.
I have concluded that this is the case due to the naval presence in the region. Before the naval presence, the merchant vessels fended for themselves and did not report attacks unless of the damage to the vessel, injury to the crew or an actual hijacking took place. Now that the naval entities are there, the merchant vessels have someone to call for help in the event of an attack. The naval vessels are compelled to report the call of distress, therefore, the number of reported incidents has risen significantly. Another way to substantiate this theory, is when
the incident is reported, the name of the vessel is not normally reported. Therefore, the report to the IMB came from the navy, not the individual vessel filing the report. The response to this may be causing the maritime industry to go in the wrong direction when it comes to vessel defense. The answer is not to rely on the naval flotilla, but to take the appropriate action to protect their own vessels.
Anyway, just some of my thoughts.
The reported hijackings are probably pretty factual, however, my thoughts are on the
supposed increase in attacks. When looking at the Live Piracy map by the IMB as a basis, I can see that the reported attacks of course have gone up dramatically, however, for some reason, the reported sightings of “suspicious” vessels stands at only three. This is what caught my eye and started my thought process as to the reality of attacks. The IMB admits that less than 50% of attacks are reported to the IMB, as merchant vessels are not 'required' to report attacks. Through a few informal talks with seaman, I found that the only attacks that are normally reported, are those that result in significant damage to the vessel, serious injury to a crew member, or of course, the actual successful hijacking itself. This is mostly due to the desire to maintain an 'incident free' situation with insurance
carriers, and the fact that if an attack is reported, the vessel may be held up for inspection causing unnecessary time delays and other matters with some port authorities. I have come to a few conclusions or a theory as to why the numbers have jumped significantly, and how the reporting of this can be very misleading. First we will start with the reporting. Most articles or reports, are missing one key element, and that is the word “REPORTED.” When the article is written or given on television, it is given that the number of attacks has significantly risen in the region. They are not taking into account that it is the number of Reported attacks has risen.
If you look at the numbers of reported attacks for the region, it is well over 100%
increase in the reported attacks, and we are not even finished with the year. However, the most interesting element, is if the attacks had actually increased, then the number of sightings of suspicious vessels would have increased dramatically as well. This significant increase in reported attacks coincides with the naval presence in the region. The navy ships are compelled to report all activity, to include calls for help by merchant vessels being attacked by pirates. n. However, the merchant vessels are not reporting a significant increase in the sightings of suspicious vessels. In order for the number of attacks to have literally increased over 100%, there would have to be a significant increase in actual pirate boats and pirates themselves. Almost all reported attacks involve about two skiffs, sometimes three and sometimes one. Therefore, there would have to be twice as many pirates on the water for the figures to match. I therefore conclude that the attack rate has not risen significantly, merely the reporting of the attacks has risen significantly.
I have concluded that this is the case due to the naval presence in the region. Before the naval presence, the merchant vessels fended for themselves and did not report attacks unless of the damage to the vessel, injury to the crew or an actual hijacking took place. Now that the naval entities are there, the merchant vessels have someone to call for help in the event of an attack. The naval vessels are compelled to report the call of distress, therefore, the number of reported incidents has risen significantly. Another way to substantiate this theory, is when
the incident is reported, the name of the vessel is not normally reported. Therefore, the report to the IMB came from the navy, not the individual vessel filing the report. The response to this may be causing the maritime industry to go in the wrong direction when it comes to vessel defense. The answer is not to rely on the naval flotilla, but to take the appropriate action to protect their own vessels.
Anyway, just some of my thoughts.
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