Pirates hit back with a hijack, numerous attacks, fights amongst their gangs and release of 2,000 goats. Iran Navy disrupts pirates. Accused pirates plead not guilty to US yacht killings; hold MV crew at their mercy whilst crew paraded on video begging for release. Philippines declares 78 nationals held hostage. Go ahead giving to arm Italian, German ships and Puntland forces plan anti-piracy ops. Agreements for joint efforts against pirates. Marines simulate counter piracy rescue operations.
As urgent appeals for international aid for the drought-ridden country of Somalia, which has left half of the population in danger of a famine, the pirates to the north continue to ply their, at times deadly, trade.
A UAE oil tanker, MT Jubba XX, was hijacked Northwest of Socotra Island, in the Gulf of Aden, with 16 crew now held hostage. The vessel has been observed in the in the vicinity of Rasu Bina village in the Bargal region of Somalia. Another seven vessels have evaded hijack attempts over the last 7 days, with one attack culminating in a pirate skiff being disrupted by a warship. At least one pirate dies and two others were seriously injured in clashes between pirate groups. Pirates continue to parade hostages as a negotiation tactic and Seafarer welfare charity urges pirates to show mercy to an 'abandoned' ships' crew. More countries are to permit the use of private security on their vessels to fight the piracy scourge although the U.S. questions the regulation of the use of mercenaries against pirates off Somalia. Other large states still oppose the UN Working Group's draft convention to regulate private military contractors. The Puntland security forces are planning to carry out anti-piracy operations, both on land and at sea following the capture of the Jubba XX. Three accused pirates plead not guilty to US yacht killings. U.S. marines demonstrate the training now taking place to help combat Somali piracy.
The Iranian Navy reports disrupting pirate attacks in the Red Sea. Seven pirate boats attacked the Abadeh oil tanker while sailing in Bab al-Mandeb strait on Thursday, ISNA reported.
The Iranian naval forces, however, swiftly averted the attack with effective firepower, the report added.
On Wednesday, the Dandel cargo ship was attacked by seven pirate boats in the same area, but the Iranian Navy warships patrolling the pirate-infested shipping lanes around the Horn of Africa confronted the pirates and scattered them.
A few hours later, 16 other pirate boats attacked the same ship, but escaped after a clash with the Islamic Republic naval forces during which one of the pirates was killed.
Iran's Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008 to safeguard maritime trade and in particular ships and oil tankers owned or leased by Iran - Press tv.
The piracy incidents are covered below with specific timelines, however, the sudden increase in attacks comes at a time when many commentators declared the fall in attacks are attributed to naval patrols and the monsoon conditions in the region. The recent statistics showing that more attacks have occurred in the first 6 months of this year, and the fact that more violence is used demonstrate the determination to continue their criminal intent, which is so far removed from the destitution of the lower reaches of the country.
A pirate action group attacked and boarded a UAE-flagged and owned oil tanker, Jubba XX, in the Gulf of Aden/Arabian Sea, Northwest of Socotra Island. Nine heavily armed pirate skiffs attacked the vessel on the morning of July 16, in an area near to the concentration of naval patrols. The tanker has a crew of 16 comprising of one Sri Lankan, one Sudanese, one Myanmar, one Kenyan, four Somalis, three Bangladeshi and five Indians.The ship had left Berbera in Somalia, a journey regularly undertaken. Undoubtedly, such vessels have become a high-value target for the pirates.
Several attacks occurred either in the Red Sea or, the relatively warship-rich environment of the Gulf of Aden, away from the monsoon-affected Arabian Sea and Somali Basin. Many of the attacks were deterred by the embarked armed security teams and the response by warships in the vicinity of the attacks. The successes of the private security detachments have encouraged the change in stance by some states in arming their ships.
At least one pirate has died and two others were seriously injured after clashes between two pirate groups in Puntland's Bari region, states Somalia Report.
The fight occurred over the ownership of the drug, khat.
In the meantime the mayor of Bargal district stated that the hijacked oil tanker MT Jubba XX p;anchored near Rasu Bina village, where the MV Dover and the Danish family are being held. The pirates have been informed that the local volunteer troops are ready to fight the pirates,however, they cannot attack the location where the ship is anchored due to the mountainous region hampering access to the area.
Somali pirates holding the 5 members of the Danish family as hostages on the MV Dover have stated that they will not move away from their present location until the ransom demand of US2$ million has been received. In the meantime, the pirates have allowed the father of the Danish family and his daughter to go ashore 3 times a week after being ensconced on MV Dover for the last 5 months. The pair have been escorted to the beach to enable them to have some exercise, but are put back on the ship each night, say the pirates. Our partner site;Somalia Report explains that the daughter, Naja, whose health had deteriorated in the last several months, has again been ill with seasickness due to the monsoon waves affecting the ship, although the remaining family members and crew of MV Dover are healthy.
Three accused Somali pirates pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of killing four Americans on a hijacked yacht off the coast of Africa in February. The three entered their pleas in U.S. District Court to 26 counts, 22 of which are eligible for the death penalty. The government has not decided whether to seek the death penalty, but is examining the possibility. Through an interpreter, Ahmed Muse Salad, Abukar Osman Beyle and Shani Nurani Shiekh Abrar pleaded not guilty to murder, piracy, hostage taking and violence against maritime navigation resulting in death, among other charges - gCaptain.
Private Security
Examples of private armed security on board merchant vessels, such as the British team on the MT Front Pride and MV F Blue which were attacked in the Red Sea - Somalia Report - demonstrate the continued successful deterrent which has encouraged more shipping companies to adopt the practice of arming their vessels for protection in the high risk region. Germany and Italy are the latest nations to give the go-ahead to arm ships with private security.
Italy stepped up its measures against piracy, clearing commercial ships sailing through dangerous waters to use armed private guards or soldiers for protection. The ministry of defence was authorised to “agree with private shipowners means of protecting ships flying the Italian flag,” the government’s official gazette said. “Soldiers or private security guards will be embarked on request and at shipowners’ cost,” it said. The measures were intended for “international maritime areas where there is a risk of piracy”, it added. Pirates have seized several Italian ships over the last few years. On April 21 pirates captured an Italian cargo ship headed for Iran with 21 crew members on board, including six Italians, in the Arabian Sea near Oman - Maritime Connector.
German ships braving the waters off Somalia will now be able to officially employ private security firms to fight off attacks by pirates, after the government admitted it could not provide the protection itself.
State secretary in the economics ministry responsible for maritime affairs, Hans-Joachim Otto, said on Thursday that he could not answer the repeated calls from shipping companies for soldiers or armed police officers to accompany their boats.
State efforts to offer protection have not made much of a splash, with the European Union mission ‘Atalanta’ offering two operation teams – a German and an Estonian – but German ships alone undertake around 1,700 trips through pirate-infested areas each year.
Shipping firms have started taking matters into their own hands, with a study published last week by the consultancy firm PwC showing 27 German ships already carry armed security men on board, with a further six employing unarmed security operatives. Just 17 percent of the 100 firms questioned said they thought the ‘Atalanta’ mission added to safety in the pirate regions.
The Association of German Ship Owners (VDR) confirmed the move towards employing armed guards, but said it was only a second-best solution. International ocean law says that fighting piracy should be a matter for nations – armed forces fighting piracy should at least be under contract of a state.
“We would be happy to pay for it – it’s not about saving money,” said Max Johns, VDR spokesman, acknowledging that arming ships carried risks. “The pirates are constantly upgrading their weaponry – it could come to exchange of fire which could be very bloody,” he said.
The problem of pirate attacks has led to hugely increased insurance premiums for ship owners, as well as taking costly diversions and making increased investment in ship security – as well as difficulties in recruiting - The Local.
Amid controversy about the use of mercenaries to face off against pirates off the coast of Somalia, the US State Departments' Donna Hopkins, who chairs “Working Group Three” of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia , on July 14, told Inner City Press “there's a robust international effort [about] the use of armed security, private or not, and how it should be regulated, if at all.” Earlier in the month, the chairman of the UN's Working Group on mercenaries told Inner City Press that a draft convention to regulate private military contractors is being opposed by large states. Denmark's Legal Adviser, Thomas Winkler, declined to say if the use of armed security is good or bad, but added that no ship with armed guards has been hijacked.
The lengths that Somali piracy has gone is demonstrated in the effect it has had on India; in a space of 10 days, two gangs of suspected Somali pirates came to Junagadh and Jamnagar coast, says the Organiser. The assistance of Interpol for information on the 32 Somali pirates is being sought. What this shows is that the menace of Somali piracy has only grown over the years. It is worth examining why has this happened despite the presence of a professional navy. For over five years, [our] shipping companies have paid millions of dollars in ransom. Hundreds of Indian sailors have been abducted since February 2006, when Indian-owned and -manned dhow, MV Bhakti Sagar, was hijacked by Somali pirates. Despite action taken by Indian Navy and Coastguard, there is no let-up in the virulence of Somali piracy.
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HMS Montrose disrupts pirates (Source: The News) |
The UK government is expected to announce harsh new measures to coincide with the expected spike in piracy after the summer. The changes are understood to be centred on international jurisdiction so Britain can charge pirates.
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Puntland Anti-piracy vessels (Source: Somalia Report) |
Puntland security forces are planning to carry out anti-piracy operations around Bargal district, both on land and at sea, and aim to cut-off pirates' supplies from land, according to security officials who spoke to Somalia Report. This operation is following the confirmed seizure of the MT Jubba XX, a United Arab Emirates oil tanker. Locals reported that the vessel is anchored between Alula and Bargal in Puntland territorial waters, and is being held by a group of eight former fishermen from Qandala area, 60 miles east of Bosaso. The group is reported to be relatively new to piracy and comparatively weak. A security official in Bosaso said the forces have two small boats for the mission."The forces will fully cooperate with NATO sea forces during the missions. They will take other measures, which are yet to be made public. Our security team will widen its scope of patrol in the target area," the official told [our] correspondent. Mohamed Dahir, a businessman in Puntland's port city of Bosaso, told Somalia Report, that officials suggested that locals should support the security forces by loaning their boats to attack the pirates. Puntland's Coast Guard have begun daily security operations around the Bosaso port area since pirates recently seized and then released a boat carrying 2,000 goats 35nm off the Bosaso coastline.
An Indian warship has successfully warded off a pirate attack on a Greek merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, where it is on anti-piracy deployment, in coordination with a German warship, the Indian Navy said The Indian frigate, INS Godavari, was escorting four merchant ships in the Gulf of Aden July 16 (Saturday), when the Greek cargo vessel MV Elinakos sent out a distress call. Soon after, the Indian marine commandos were rushed in aid of the Greek ship, the navy said in a press release here. An eight-member Somali pirate team had made the attempt on the Greek ship and they were spotted by the commandos on a skiff near the cargo vessel. The marine commandos on board their speed boats approached the pirate skiff, by which time the sea brigands dumped their arms and ammunition, and other piracy implements into the sea, the release said. The pirates later sped away, a naval officer said. The German naval ship Niedersachsen also coordinated with INS Godavari in the operation - Hindustan Times.
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| Defence Minister Chacon (Source: Euro Weekly News) |
The Spanish Defence Minister, Carme Chacon, is having a quiet word in the ears of Seychelles government ministers. The island's ports are used by Spanish trawlers and "pond life pirates" are out to scupper them and steal their fishing boats.
Regulations allow fishermen to carry conventional weapons but not the more sophisticated weaponry increasingly used by pirates. Against them rifle rounds are largely ineffective, says Euro Weekly News. Chacon met with Seychelles officials to establish a bilateral commission to discuss ship owners carrying high-calibre guns onboard. Wait until you see the whites of their eyes. Seychelles see shells on the sea floor.
President Jacob Zuma and visiting Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete have agreed to forge “vibrant co-operation” in the fight against the growing scourge of Somali piracy off the East African coast, reports The Star.
Kikwete said after their meeting in Pretoria yesterday that piracy was a growing problem for Tanzania as it had spread south from Somalia under pressure from Operation Atlanta – the international naval fleet.
The pirates have begun operating in waters off Mozambique, and the SA Navy has been patrolling the Mozambique Channel for more than four months. “It is of concern to us because at the beginning it was confined to the Gulf of Aden,” Kikwete said. “Now it has begun to move south towards our territorial waters." Meanwhile, formal relations between Tanzania and South Africa were yesterday upgraded and broadened from the current presidential economic commission to a bi-national commission, which now also includes non-economic areas of co-operation.
Crew of the chemical tankerMV Olib G, held by pirates, remain at the mercy of pirates. The vessel was proceeding on her final voyage to be scrapped in India when she was hijacked. The ship is virtually abandoned as it has no owner, no insurance and no value beyond the scrap value. The Athens-based Sea Welfare charity has attempted to negotiate with the pirates holding the crew, but all sums offered to date have been rejected as the pirate refuse to believe that the status of the vessel is not ture and is antoher story to avoid paying a large ransom -Somali Report.
In a further attempt to boost the pirates negotiating position, another video has been released to parade the suffering of the seafarers held hostage. The pirate gang holding the crew of the MV Leopard has released videos of gaunt and emotional crew appealing for the Danish government to pressure their company into paying a ransom before they die. The video has a time stamp of July 14 and shows, distressingly, 5 of the 6 crew members breaking down. See Somalia Report for coverage of all videos.
GMA News states, according to Reuters data, over 50 Filipinos are still being held captive by Somali pirates. However, the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs had said around 78 Filipino seafarers are with the pirates.
Philippine government data shows that there are around 300,000 Filipino seafarers, comprising around 30 percent of an estimated 1.2 million seafarers worldwide. Reuters said the captive Filipinos belonged to the following ships:
Liberian-owned “Polar,"
Algeria-flagged “Blida,"
Panama-flagged “Dover," and
Italian-owned “Rosalia D’Amato.
European Oil Security
Moving oil from the Middle East to Europe isn't as easy as it used to be.
For many European nations, sourcing oilf from countries such as Saudi Arabia or Kuwait is becoming increasingly tricky because crude tankers must travel through areas such as the Gulf of Aden, a regions prone to Somali hijackings, reports
WSJ, The Source.
On April 8, Somali pirates released Greek-owned oil tanker Irene SL after 58 days in captivity. Published reports claim a fee of more than $13 million was negotiated. The hijacking marked a significant escalation in Somali piracy, taking it into the main sea lanes of the Arabian Gulf. The crude-oil tanker hijacking represented 20% of total U.S. daily crude oil imports, or 5% of total daily world seaborne oil supply.
And finally... The 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit conducted a visit, board, search and seizure exercise to simulate the recapture of a civilian ship, akin to a real raid carried out by Marines last year against Somali pirates on MV Magellan Star. Video courtesy of Jared Morgan - CampPendleton.patch.
Piracy events
- July 16 at 0742 UTC in position 13:48N - 051:25E, approximately 130nm Northwest of Socotra Island, Yemen, UAE-flagged and -owned oil tanker, MT Jubba XX, seized by 9 heavily armed pirates with 16 multinational crew on board. The vessel was last reported by military sources, but has been reported to have anchored of Rasu Bina village where MV Dover and the Danish yacht family are being held.
July 16 at 0340 UTC, in position 13:36.3N – 050:17.3E: in the Gulf of Aden. A pirate skiffs with 6 pirates chased a Panama-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier, Elinakos, underway with 24 crew. The Master raised the alarm and the crew mustered in the citadel. The 4-strong security team fired flares and then warning shots when the pirates closed to within 300metres. The Indian navy stated that its warship, INS Godavari, which was escorting four ships in the Gulf of Aden IRTC. After coordination with the German warship, Niedersachsen, the Indian warship despatched its helicopter with a detachment of marine commandos to investigate the reported skiff. The skiff was detected but it was claimed the suspected pirates dumped the arms and ammunition overboard. July 17 at 1055 UTC in position 12:36.24N - 043:24.6E, approximately 95nm West of Aden in Yemen, a merchant vessel was attacked by pirates in 3 skiffs, reports an embarked security team. Weapons and ladders were observed. The alarm was raised and warning shots were fired as the pirates continued their approach. Following the warning shots, the pirates aborted the hijack attempt. July 18 at 0710 UTC in position 14:36.10N - 042:19.10E approximately 38nm WSW of Al Hudaydah in the Red Sea, a Singapore-flagged LPG tanker, Stella Kosan, was surrounded by armed pirates in nine skiffs. 1 skiff with 6 pirates chased the tanker. The Master initiated evasive manoeuvres and the security team fired flares. The pirates continued their approached and warning shots were then fired which deterred further pirate attack. July 20 at 1540 UTC, in position 13:25.9N - 042.41.6E, approximately 24nm North of Assab, Eritrea in the Red Sea. A Marshall Island-flagged, Norwegian-owned crude oil tanker, MT Front Pride, with 31 cre members was chased and fired upon by 6-7 pirates (wearing dark clothes) with weapons and RPGs. The British security team on board fired flares and then warning shots. The pirates aborted the attack. July 21 at 1100 UTC, in position 13:30N - 042:35E, approximately 30nm Northwest of Assab, Eritrea in the Red Sea. Six pirates chased and fired upon a general cargo ship, MV F Blue. The Master raised the alarm and the crew mustered in the citadel. The embarked armed security returned fire which saw the pirates abort the attack, however, they remained in the vicinity. The skiff is described as having a white hull with a red zigzag. July 22 at 0942 UTC in position 13:00N - 948:22E in the Gulf of Aden, 6 armed pirates in a skiff chased the UK-flagged container ship, Ever Ethic. The Master raised the alarm and ordered eva July 22 at 1029 UTC in positon 12:56N - 048:30E in the Gulf of Aden - in the central IRTC - the Ethiopian general cargo ship MV Andinet was attacked by a single skiff with armed pirates on board. RPG was fired which damaged a crane but no injuries to any of the crew. The Master raised the alarm and conducted evasive manoeuvres. A warship in the vicinity managed to stop the skiff, board it and thereby disrupt pirate operations in the area.
- July 18 at 0330 UTC, in position 14:00N - 042:25E, in the Red Sea north of Assab in Eritrea, a single skiff with 6 POB maintained a distance of 700 metres behind a merchant vessel. Weapons and ladders were sighted.
- Sporadic acts of piracy may potentially occur at any time in the Gulf of Aden area as the weather conditions in the Arabian Sea and northern Somali Basin preclude the operations of pirate skiffs, but the pirates may still risk attempts to seize vessels.
- The Red Sea and Bab al Mandeb Strait remain areas of high threat with one PAG still operating in the area.
IMO states that 22 ships and 464 seafarers remain captives of Somali pirates. The IMO Secretary General, Mitropoulos speaks out on piracy IMO. The press conference, held 21 July, was show a presentation on piracy and is available here.
Vessels are reminded that the coalition forces' warships may not be in the vicinity of a pirate attack, subsequently, it is emphasised that seafarers can greatly reduce their chances of being pirated if they follow precautions as recommended in the Best Management Practices, increasing speed and carrying out evasive manoeuvres is a proven deterrent to piracy attacks. BMP version 4 is expected to be released, including a DVD, later this month.Vessels are advised to exercise extreme caution when navigating in the vicinity of any reported positions of attacks and maintain maximum CPA with any ship acting suspiciously. Additionally, registration of vessel movement with MSC(HOA) prior to transiting the region is recommended.
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Any suspicious activity should be reported to UKMTO in Dubai in the first instance (UKMTO or Telephone+971 50 552 3215) and on entering the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) bound by Suez, 78E and 10S.
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