Report from BBC on the situation in Somalia :
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7600177.stm
The seas off Somalia, close to busy shipping routes, have some
of the highest rates of piracy in the world. The country has been
without a functioning central government for 17 years and has
suffered from continual civil strife.
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said the ships being
deployed would provide protection for five MISC Berhad vessels, and
would not launch rescue operations.
Counting ships
Officials in the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland say
the ships are being held at the port of Eyl, a lawless outpost
controlled by gangs.
Puntland's minister for mines, who is leading a delegation to
investigate the hijackings, told the BBC Somali Service from a hill
overlooking the port that he could count eight captured vessels. He
said another two were reported to be on their way to Eyl.
The delegation had spoken to local elders, he said, but it had
not approached the pirates. The latest vessel to be hijacked was an
Egyptian ship which was reported missing on Thursday. Earlier this
week a French sailing boat with two crew was seized. Pirates
holding that boat are reportedly seeking a ransom of more than $1m
(£0.56m).
Puntland's ports minister said after the capture of the French
boat that pirates in the region were well-armed and employ a lot of
people.He said there was little co-ordination between those trying
to tackle them.
In June, the UN Security Council voted to allow countries to
send warships into Somalia's waters to tackle the pirates, but the
ports minister complained that international vessels "don't
intervene".
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said the ships being
deployed would provide protection for five MISC Berhad vessels, and
would not launch rescue
operations.
you dont even want to rescue your own citizens? whose the one
without balls
