| Posted by Brandon | April 7th, 2008 |
About 10 suspected pirates stormed the 288-foot Le Ponant on Friday as it was returning, without passengers, from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. The pirates then guided the vessel down Somalia’s eastern coast.
The hijacking comes amid a surge in piracy in the seas off the chaotic Horn of Africa nation, where a weak and impoverished government is unable to patrol its territorial waters. Pirates have seized more than two dozen ships off the country’s coast in the past year, typically demanding high ransoms to free their hostages.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner told France-Inter radio that France was in contact with the pirates.
“We have established contact, and the case may take a long time,” he said, without providing more details. Asked whether France would consider paying a ransom, he responded, “We’ll see.”
“We have to do everything to avoid bloodshed,” Kouchner said.
Earlier, a local fisherman Mahdi Daud Anbuure said he saw the ship arriving at the northern town of Eyl, about 310 miles north of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, with a small boat heading toward it, apparently with supplies.
Abdirahman Mohamed Bangah, information minister for the semiautonomous northern region of Puntland, said he hoped international forces will “rescue this ship” at Eyl, confirming its location.
A French diplomat working on the case said the hostages were being treated well, and that they have been provided food and given the opportunity to wash. The diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media.
As Reported on CNN.com
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