Savages hinder the passage of humanitarian assistance to Tsunami stricken Somalis

[Sky]

Pirates Seize Aid Ship Bound for Tsunami-Hit Somalia (Update2)

June 30 (Bloomberg) -- Pirates off the coast of Somalia seized an aid ship with 10 crew members and hundreds of tons of rice for victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami in the East African nation, the United Nations World Food Program said today.

 

The MV Semlow, carrying 850 metric tons of rice destined for Bossaso in Somalia's Puntland region, was captured June 27 by unidentified hijackers about 300 kilometers (186 miles) northeast of the capital, Mogadishu, the agency said in an e-mailed statement. The hijacking followed a warning by the International Marine Bureau of increased piracy off Somalia.

 

The food was destined for people who are ``still trying to rebuild their lives'' after the tsunami, WFP spokeswoman Rene McGuffin said in a telephone interview. Waves devastated coastal areas around the Indian Ocean following an earthquake off Indonesia, killing about 300 people in Somalia and leaving 28,000 people still dependent on food from the UN.

 

``This food was enough to feed them for two months,'' McGuffin said from Nairobi, capital of neighboring Kenya. ``When you lose everything, including your fishing boats, it takes time to rebuild.'' The WFP is appealing to local leaders and elders to intervene and secure safe passage for the ship, she said.

 

``It's against humanitarian law to hinder the passage of humanitarian assistance,'' the spokeswoman said. ``This is important food that needs to get on its way.'' The rice was donated by Germany and Japan, according to the WFP.

 

Piracy Warning

 

The International Marine Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur warned of an increase in hijackings near Somalia in its report for June 21-27. At least five acts of armed piracy have taken place in the area since March 31, the group said.

 

``Serious attacks have resumed off the eastern coast of Somalia,'' according to the online report. ``Eastern and northeastern coasts of Somalia continue to be high-risk areas for hijackings.''

 

The St. Vincent and the Grenadines-registered Semlow on June 22 left the Kenyan port of Mombasa, where the UN chartered it from the Motaku Shipping Agency, the WFP said. The vessel was hijacked five days later off the Somali coast between Haradhere and Hobyo. The ship's captain is Sri Lankan, the engineer is Tanzanian, and the eight other crew members are Kenyan.

 

``Our understanding is that the crew is safe and the food is still on board,'' McGuffin said. She said the ship is now stationary off the coast near Hobyo, and that she had no details of how many attackers were involved or how they took the ship.

 

In the five incidents of piracy reported off the coast of Somalia since the end of March, hijackers armed with guns and grenades attacked and fired on ships, the piracy center said. In three cases, crew members were held hostage and ransoms demanded, the group said. It warned passing ships to stay as far from the coast as possible.

 

``Some of these attacks took place far away from the Somali coast,'' the center said. ``Ships not making scheduled calls to ports in these areas should stay at least 50 miles or as far away as practical from the eastern coast of Somalia.''

 

The piracy center, set up 12 years ago, is financed by voluntary contributions from ship owners and insurers.

 

 

 

To contact the reporter on this story:

Alex Morales in London at amorales2@bloomberg.net.

 

 

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=aTn1PEMfcycU&refer=asia

[Sky]

Somali kidnappers now demand Sh38m

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

By Philip Mwakio and Mathias Ringa

 

The Somali warlords holding eight Kenyans are demanding a Sh38 million ransom.

 

Karim Kudrati, the director of Motaku Shipping Agencies, agents for the hijacked ship MV Semlow, said yesterday no progress had been made in efforts to have the eight Kenyans, one Tanzanian and the Sri Lankan captain, who were taken hostage a week ago, released.

 

The vessel left the port of Mombasa on June 23 for Bossasio port (reputed for its safety) in Somalia, carrying relief food from the World Food Programme (WFP).

 

Speaking to The Sunday Standard in Mombasa, Kudrati noted that efforts by his company and WFP to have the hostages released have so far failed.

 

Kudrati said his company and WFP could not pay the ransom since their mission was to deliver the 850 metric tonne rice consignment to Tsunami victims in Somalia.

 

"We are not prepared to part with Sh38 million because WFP was helping Somalis with relief food to save families from starvation. They should release our employees unconditionally," he said.

 

Kudrati urged the UN and the affected countries to intervene to secure the unconditional release of the hostages. He gave the names of the eight Kenyans as Mohamed Shee (Chief Officer), Hassan Sudi, Rashid Juma, Athumani Magore, Gregory Musyoka, Juma Pembe, Juma Rajab and Patrick Ogutu. Others are the ship’s captain, S. Mahalingham (Sri Lankan) and the chief engineer, a Tanzanian, Juma M. Juma.

 

The ship is detained at Hobye, north east of Somalia. Kudrati said this was the first time one of their vessels had been hijacked by Somali gunmen. Three ships have been transporting relief food to Somali for the past 13 years.

 

Meanwhile, families of the eight Kenyans yesterday urged the government to start negotiations with the captors to secure the release of the hostages.

 

The wife of seafarer Mr Hassan Sudi, Mwanaiddi, said she was shocked to hear that Somalia militiamen were holding her husband.

 

She said her husband left for Somalia on June 23, and that the family was now fearing for his safety.

 

"We urge the government and the WFP to seek the release of my husband and his colleagues before something bad befalls them," a tearful Mwanaiddi said.

 

The Seafarers Assistance Programme (SAP) is trying to get a Somali national in Nairobi to enter into negotiations with the warlords.

 

The SAP Kenya co-ordinator, Andrew Mwangura, told The Sunday Standard that their contact person in Mogadishu had given them the contact of a Nairobi-based man, who is said to have influence in the area.

 

"We have received information that the man, whose real identity is still not clear, is personally known to the hostage takers. We want to make him a go-between to negotiate for the release of the sailors," Mwangura said.

 

 

http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=24310

[Qudhac]

" Savages "

 

 

i wonder who you are aiming this term, i hope its those individuals who done the kidnapping rather than whole groups or even worse whole clans. :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Final_Say]

savages indeed; the only people s*t*u*p*i*d* enough to kidnap something that was sent to help them and then demand ransom for it; the whole clan, the whole people and anyone who has the slight sympathy for them are the sort of people Somali’s can do without; someone should kidnap them and damp them in the sea;

 

these people make me ashemed of having any sort of association with them, which is limited to desending from SOOMal.

[contraflow]

What did you expect from these people. Times like these I wish I was never a Somali or an African for that matter.

[Duufaan]

You cannot live a savage country without been a savage by self. Geel ladhacaa, Geel ladhaco ayuu leeyahay.

[Liqaye]

Haiyaa :eek: contraflow were you somali?

[contraflow]

NOOO!!! I'm a Jew :eek:

[nuune]

^^^^ lool

 

 

that is a very disturbing news, the ship kidnappings is not something NEW!

[OLOL]

Good job to the pirates!

 

This shipment would have gone to Yeey's militia and not to Tsumani victims!

[Maalqabeen]

Everything that goes to Bosaso is meant for Ina Yeey and his militias ?

 

Cajiib

 

I knew that Qabyaalada was high these days but if it will reach a point that people are approving actions savages who do not steal only aid from the poor Somali people but also people who are hit by Tsunami .

 

Never though I will come a cross

 

unfortunately I did

 

Cajiib Cajib

[Liqaye]

NOOO!!! I'm a Jew

Thats more like it.

[NGONGE]

Originally posted by contraflow:

NOOO!!! I'm a Jew :eek:

Haddad is not here to take your call, saaxib. But if he were, he would tell you that being a Jew is not a nationality. The word you are looking for here is Israeli.

[contraflow]

Originally posted by LIQAYE:

quote:NOOO!!! I'm a Jew

Thats more like it.

Its better than being an untamed animal that has been unleashed