US warships surround hijacked vessel carrying Sudan weapons
September 29, 2008 (NAIROBI) – U.S. warships are surrounding a cargo ship carrying tanks, other weapons and ammunition to southern Sudan after its seizure by Somali pirates in the read see.
The U.S. naval forces central command in the region said that a U.S. destroyer and other foreign navy ships had converged on Monday on the Belize-flagged ship called Faina. “San Diego-based destroyer USS Howard is on station and is in visual range of Faina, which is anchored off the Somalia coast near the harbor city of Hobyo,” the command said.
Lt. Nathan Christensen, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet also confirmed in a press statement that the shipment of seized ship was destined to Sudan without further details.
The United Nations imposes an arms embargo on weapons headed to Sudan’s Darfur conflict region. The ban does not cover other weapons sales to the governments in Khartoum or Juba.
However, in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, weapons to South Sudan have to be approved first by the central government.
Sudanese military source in Khartoum yesterday said that the ultimate destination was southern Sudan and that Kenya was only the transhipment point. However, Kenya asserted that the seized weapons belong to Kenya’s armed forces.
The US fears that the military equipment could arrive on the hands of extremist groups fighting against the Ethiopia backed Somali interim government. The Somali Islamists are also suspected by Washington to be linked to Al-Qaida militants.
”Our goal is to ensure the safety of the crew, to not allow off-loading of dangerous cargo and to make certain Faina can return to legitimate shipping,” said Rear Adm. Kendall Card, commander of the task force monitoring the ship.
Christensen said the Navy maintains ”standard bridge-to-bridge communication” with Faina’s crew via DHF radio, but stressed that the Navy was not participating or facilitating negotiations.
Seizing ships has become an important source of income for pirates in Somalia, which is risen between rival clan-based warlords since they overthrew a socialist dictator in 1991.
(ST)
Agutran
US warships surround hijacked vessel carrying Sudan weapons
Who ever owned the weaponry on board the vessel should not in any way shape or form pays any ransoms to those clowns pirates on board the seized ship.
The good news is they had already been surrounded by the US Navy, therefore no way out for them to escape. Not only that, they had been suspected to have linked to al-Qaida and that’s a glass half full of trouble already.
The only idea on their mind now is to flee unharmed.
The engineers behind this ordeal should look for other proxies, because that movie failed in the box office.