Hijackers: Crew No Longer Get Food & Water
Following an official decision to cut supplies to the ship, Somali pirates holding the Bermuda flagged MV Talca have threatened to deny the crew members food and water. The MV Talca was hijacked 3 weeks ago, and has 25 crew members on board: 23 Sri Lankans, 1 Filipino and 1 Syrian.
The ship is now being held off the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, where security officials from both the region and Somalia’s interim government stated today they will work together to attack pirate lairs along Somalia’s coast to try to stem the hijacking problems that plaque the region.
The officials are reported to have sent troops to cut supplies to pirates holding the Bermuda-flagged ship.
Puntland interior minister Abdullahi Ahmed Ilkajiir told reporters:
Our forces are joining troops of (the interim government) and are going to face and fight against the pirates and their operations in Puntland’s coast.
The pirates warned that the crew face dire consequences, with a pirate from the MV Talca quoted as saying:
If this blockade is not lifted soon, the prime victims will be the crew. They will no longer get food and water. They think they are hurting us alone. We shall eat, but the crew will not if this continues.
There was a reports a few days ago that a serious dispute among the captors broke out concerning the question if the MV Talca should stay in Baargaal or proceed to Garacad or Harardheere.
Somali pirates. Credit: beyondconline.com
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Timeline:
March 23: The Talca was hijacked while traveling from Egypt to Iran, approximately 120 nautical miles off the coast of Oman in the Gulf of Aden, which is reported to be one of the most dangerous shipping lanes in the world.
March 24: MV Talca was in transit, reported to be shadowed at least part of the time by a US Warship
March 25: The European Union Naval Force confirmed that the MV Talca arrived off the Somali coast of Bargaal, with the African Press Agency reporting that Governor of Baargaal Ahmed Bile Mohamed said the MV Talca reached his city and people can see it from shore.
March 26: Sketchy reports that the MV Talca is heading to Garacad, a pirate stronghold
April 4: Hostages are reported to have spoken via satellite phone to their families, and to be in good health
The hijackers normally demand a ransom in exchange for the safe return of the ship and crew. According to the Kenyan foreign minister, Somali pirates received over $150 million in ransom during 2008. Pirates demand the ransom money in US cash, and have had it dropped from helicopters or sent on small boats. In January 2009, $3 million cash was dropped from a helicopter onto the deck of MV Sirius Star to secure the release of ship and crew.
Somalia is largely considered a ‘failed state’, lacking general infrastructure such as law enforcement, government, schools etc. The African nation with a population of over 9 million people, has not had a functioning government for 19 years. One of the world’s poorest nations, 73% of the population live on a daily income below $2, according to the World Bank.
