Hijacking Incidents Increase Near Somalia
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According to an ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) article, posted on the organization's Web site on October 31, there has been a recent spike in hijackings near Somalia. IMB Director Captain Pottengal Mukundan says that though the number of attacks was decreasing until this year, "2007 has shown a complete reversal of this trend, with the number of acts of piracy already well surpassing those that occurred during the same period in 2006." In the past two weeks alone, there have been at least three successful hijacking attempts. According to the IMB, "These recent attacks, all involving armed pirates boarding vessels in international waters, underline the severity of the situation."
The IMB article describes the first hijacking: "On 17 October 2007, a general cargo vessel, the Al Marjan, was hijacked after discharging cargo. The Al Marjan was attacked and boarded approximately fifteen nautical miles from the Somali coast and forced to anchor closer to shore. The owners of the ship have lost contact with the crew and the fate of her eight member crew is currently unknown." When MarEx went online, no new details were known of the Al Marjan.
A little more than a week later, a second hijacking occurred: "A Panamanian tanker, was attacked on 28 October 2007 while sailing through the Gulf of Aden. The crew sent out a distress call, but neither the PRC [Piracy Reporting Center] nor the vessel’s owners were able to contact the ship. The PRC informed the Coalition forces in the area who reported that the vessel was hijacked and forced into Somali territorial waters." This incident even caused the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) and the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) to issue an advisory on the Gulf of Aden stating, "ONI further advises mariners to be on high alert when transiting this area, particularly through to the end of November, when mild weather of the fall transition period is conducive to small boat operation." Again, when MarEx went online, no new details were known of the crew's condition or the vessel's whereabouts.
Just a day later, eight armed pirates attacked the Dae Hong Dan, a North Korean-flagged cargo ship, soon after it had unloaded its cargo in Mogadishu. However, according to the IMB, "The crew of the Dae Hong Dan resisted the pirates. A US Navy vessel in attendance intervened. Five pirates were captured with two killed during the incident. Six crew members were injured, with one now in serious condition. The naval vessel provided emergency medical assistance to all those who were injured."
Piracy has been increasing in Somalia since the military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was overturned in 1991 by warlords. Though attacks decreased during the second half of 2006 when Islamists controlled most of southern Somalia, they have been increasing since the Islamists were expelled in January of this year. This year alone, there have been thirteen reported hijackings near Somalia -- almost three times the five hijackings reported in the same area for all of 2006.
However, Captain Mukundan sees the positive outcome of the latest attack as a sign of hope for the area. In the IMB article, he thanked the U.S. Navy for its help, stating, "Without their help, the matter might have ended with a greater number of casualties. We hope the involvement of the US Navy will deter other pirates who have so far operated with impunity off this coast." For the latest pirate attack news, please visit the IMB's Web site here.