Crew members in the hijacked Japanese-owned ship, MT Stolt Valor, have
received food, water, and other humanitarian needs as on-and-off talks continue
for the release of the vessel, a regional maritime official said yesterday.
Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Program said MT
Stolt Valor which was hijacked last month with 18 Indians on board is still
anchored off the east coast of Somalia near the town of Eyl.
He said the efforts to supply the crew with water and food succeeded on
Saturday after the pirates allowed it onboard. "The Somali pirates finally allow
the representatives of the MV Stolt Valor to take food and water supplies to the
pirates after on-and-off talks," Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone.
"The ship remains anchored off the east coast of Somalia near the town of
Eyl. There are reported to be six other hijacked vessels at anchor close to the
Stolt Valor. An unspecified number of Somali hijackers are still onboard," he
said.
The maritime official said all crew members of the seized MV Stolt Valor are
safe but under severe distress due to the deteriorating living conditions.
Sources said the vessel's Japanese owners have appointed a professional
negotiator to engage into a dialogue with the hijackers.
The sources also said the MT Stolt Valor's owner is in regular contact with
the ship and is speaking to the Captain and other people on board the vessel on
a daily basis.
Mwangura also clarified that relatives and families of the hijacked Ukrainian
ship have raised unknown amount of money to pay Somali pirates who are demanding
eight million U.S. dollars to release the vessel and crew.
"The amount raised so far is still unknown and it's also not known when they
will be handed over to the pirates," Mwangura clarified.
The ship is carrying tanks and other weapons which were destined for the port
of Mombasa but the ultimate destination has been a source of controversy with
suggestions that the arms were headed to southern Sudan and not Kenya.
The waters off Somali coast are considered to be some of the world's most
dangerous -- pirates have hijacked more than 30 ships this year and attacked
many more.
Most attacks have been in the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and north Somalia, a
major route leading to the Suez Canal linking Europe and Asia.
