Somalia: Pirates release Turkish ship

  1. Posted on Thursday 29 July 2010 - 11:00
    raphie
    Image of raphie
    Ryekolal Raphie, AfricaNews reporter in Kampala, Uganda
    Somali pirates on Thursday released a Turkish-owned cargo ship and its crew of 21 people nearly four months after seizing the vessel, a company lawyer reported on Turkish broadcaster NTV. The Maltese-flagged vessel was seized by pirates on March 23 in the Indian Ocean.
    Somali:German Vessel held by Pirates
    It was seized about a day after passing through the warship-patrolled transit corridor in the Gulf of Aden, which commercial vessels are encouraged to use.

    Nilgun Yamaner said "the pirates abandoned the ship, the Frigia, at 7:25 am (0425 GMT) this morning. It has since been under the captain's control," as she represents the ship's owners, the Istanbul-based Kayra shipping company.

    The ship's crew of 19 Turks and two Ukranians were in good health, and "We have talked to the captain. They are all very excited and happy," Yamaner added in an AFP report.

    After its release, the Frigia left the shores of Somalia to meet the Turkish frigate Gelibolu, which serves as part of a NATO anti-piracy force in the region, and "the current crew will be sent home after their ordeal. The vessel will continue on to Thailand with a new crew to deliver its load," Yamaner said.

    Naval missions, including the European Union's Atlanta deployment, have boasted success in curbing attacks but the number of hijacked ships and detained seafarers remains at one of its highest levels since Somali piracy surged in 2007.

    Unofficial figures show that 2009 was the most prolific year yet for Somali pirates, with more than 200 attacks -- including 68 successful hijackings -- and a total in ransoms paid believed to exceed 50 million dollars.

Latest News

  1. OPINION: Welcome to African Green Revolution24/05For the past century and a half, Africa has tried various agricultural approaches without much success.
  2. Egyptians vote in historic election23/05Egyptians began voting freely on Wednesday for the first time to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who serv…
  3. Africa Day 2012 - a moment for reflection and…22/0525th May is Africa Day. For many years it has been a celebration of African unity. It dates back to 1963 when the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) …
  4. South Africa's African agenda21/05The Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Mothlanthe paid a rare visit to Ghana in April at the invitation of John Dramani Mahama …
  5. Women struggle to rinse hunger, poverty stains21/05Just looking at her one clearly appreciates that she is old and frail therefore in need of support for food, clothing and shelter to live comfortably …
  6. Climate Climate change affects migratory birds…21/05Changes in the climate globally have affected the movement of both migratory and resident species of birds, Nature Uganda has said.
  7. Ghana: Foreign retailers cited for currency…18/05The Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) is attributing the sharp depreciation of the Ghana cedi against major currencies to the illegal activiti…
  8. Kenya: Community radio brings succour to…18/05Korogocho, a slum in northeastern Nairobi with 100,000 inhabitants, had many of the ingredients for a political explosion similar to those that rocked…
  9. Veld fires 'flame' Zimbabwe's…16/05Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced the scourge of veld fires destroying property worth thousands of dollars.
  10. Liberia commends ECOWAS for support14/05The induction training of pioneer Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Volunteers for Liberia kicked off in Monrovia, with the Deputy Mi…
  11. Vanishing Lake Chad puts 30m lives at risk14/05As you approach the Lake Chad basin from Maiduguri, in north-eastern Nigeria, the evidence of despair is telling.
  12. Heavy rains cause havoc in Kenya14/05Heavy Rainfall continued to wreak havoc across the country leading to the suspension of relief food in some parts of the country as most roads in Turk…
  13. Zimbabwe: Growth points lie dormant14/05The Zimbabwean government mooted the concept of growth points in the 1980s as a means of decongesting cities and towns.
  14. Sierra Leone improves in infant mortality11/05Sierra Leone has improved in infant mortality cases according to Save the Children- World Motherhood index 2012 report. The West Africa country descri…
  15. Zimbabwe: Resettled farmers fail to utilize…10/05Resettled farmers in Zimbabwe are failing to utilize land due to inadequate farming inputs and lack of resources.
News archive