Somali Pirates Are Said to Die in Fight on Ukrainian Ship

By Hamsa Omar and Gregory Viscusi
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Sept. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Three Somali pirates died in a shootout as they argued over how to deal with a hijacked Ukrainian ship carrying a cargo of battle tanks, a maritime official said. Pirates contacted onboard the ship denied there had been a fight.

Pirates seized the Faina, a Belize-flagged vessel with a crew of 17 Ukrainians, three Russians and one Latvian, on Sept. 25. It is carrying at least 30 Soviet-designed T-72 tanks to Kenya. U.S. warships have surrounded the boat, now anchored off the Somali port of Hobyo, to prevent the cargo being unloaded.

U.S. naval officers don't have independent confirmation of a shootout, though they are aware of reports of one, Lieutenant Nate Christensen said by telephone from the U.S. 5th Fleet base in Bahrain.

``Misunderstanding between moderate and radical pirates on board increased last night until they opened fire between them, leaving three of them dead,'' Andrew Mwangura, head of the Nairobi-based Seafarers Assistance Program, said by telephone.

A pirate on board, who gave his name as Da'ud Elmi Adde and who said he's deputy spokesman, denied Mwangura's claims. ``We have only one commander and we take the orders from him,'' Adde said. ``There is not a little bit of difference between us.''

Adde said Sugale Ali Omar, who has been the pirates' onboard spokesman so far, was unavailable.

Crew Death

Omar yesterday confirmed that a crew member had died from hypertension. Russian state broadcaster Vesti-24 reported on its Web Site that it was the Russian captain, Vladimir Kolobkov.

The U.S. 5th Fleet says it has several ships in the vicinity of the Faina. The only one it has identified is the destroyer USS Howard.

``We will maintain a vigilant watch over the ship and remain on station while negotiations take place,'' Rear Admiral Kendall Card, Task Force Commander, said in a statement. ``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.''

The U.S. Navy is allowing small boats to bring food and other supplies from land.

Omar, the pirates' spokesman, yesterday said they are demanding a $20 million ransom for the boat and its cargo.

The pirates claim the tanks are intended for clients in southern Sudan, Agence France-Presse reported. Kenyan Defense Ministry spokesman Bogita Ongeri yesterday said the tanks are for Kenya's own army, AFP said.

Military Intervention

Attacks by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia have led shipping companies to ask for military intervention by the United Nations and to warn that they may start routing ships around Africa, increasing costs and risking rougher seas. French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose commandos rescued hostages and captured pirates in a Sept. 15 raid, also called for an international response.

Ships using the Suez Canal to travel between Europe and Asia must pass through the Gulf of Aden. In the first half of this year, 21,080 vessels used the Egyptian canal, a 10th of the world's seaborne trade. Somali pirates have attacked about 60 ships so far this year.

A group of shipping associations and a seamen's trade union yesterday released a joint statement criticizing Western navies for not protecting shipping.

``The pirates are now attacking ships on a daily basis with machine guns and rocket propelled grenades, and are currently holding over 200 seafarers hostage,'' the group said on the International Transport Workers' Federation Web site. ``The pirates are operating with impunity, and governments stand idly by. If civil aircraft were being hijacked on a daily basis, the response of governments would be very different.''

Foreign Navies

The U.S., France, U.K., Canada, Malaysia and Denmark have naval ships in the area to support military operations in Afghanistan and to protect humanitarian food supplies sent to parts of Somalia controlled by the official Somali government. Most pirates operate out of the breakaway Puntland region.

A Russian warship, the Neustrashimy, or Intrepid, is also en route to the area. No French naval ships are currently in the immediate vicinity, the French navy said.

Christensen wouldn't say if any of the U.S. ships have Special Forces on board. French commandos two weeks ago freed a French yacht that had been taken by Somali pirates, killing one of them, and in April captured six pirates on land and recuperated some ransom money after another French yacht had been hijacked and then released.

``Taking out a boat in high seas is one of the most difficult operations,'' Fred Burton, vice president for counter- terrorism and corporate security at risk management company Stratfor, said in a telephone interview. ``Obviously, the smaller the boat'' to be rescued, ``the less difficult it is.''

To contact the reporters on this story: Gregory Viscusi in Paris at gviscusi@Bloomberg.net; Hamsa Omar in Mogadishu via the Johannesburg newsroom at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: September 30, 2008 07:24 EDT