Edwin
Well-Known Member
This is rather a long post but I think the list of ships and captives following the piece on the Chandlers is interesting because it demonstrates the size and complexity of the Somalian problem......
The pair, taken captive from their yacht more than seven weeks ago, accused British officials of refusing to help secure their release.
Three weeks ago, in a video appearance, they begged for the government to intervene, saying that they feared they might be killed within a matter of days.
However, in a telephone interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Chandler, 59, vented his despair at the lack of progress in negotiations, admitting: “We don’t think there’s much chance, seriously.”
Mr Chandler, a retired quantity surveyor, said: “We have no knowledge of what is happening in Britain except that we have been told that the government has refused to become involved.
“As far as we are concerned it is not a straightforward piracy business, it is a plain criminal kidnapping and ... should be approached with a rather different approach than the government uses.
“When you have a criminal gang carrying out a kidnapping, [the government] should not be averse to negotiating with that gang and following it up with whatever means. I don’t think the government should step back and say ‘this is nothing to do with us’.
“I would like to say to the British government: get us out by Christmas, by whatever means.”
Pirates seized the Chandlers on October 23 as the couple sailed from the Seychelles in their 38ft yacht Lynn Rival towards Tanzania. They were later taken on land in Somalia and are being constantly moved around, living in vehicles, as their captors make various hostage demands.
It has since emerged that a Royal Navy warship manned by at least 10 Royal Marines and equipped with a helicopter were just 50 yards away but took no action as the pirates seized the couple.
The Ministry of Defence admitted that Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, had authorised the Royal Marines to intervene but it said it was the ship’s commander who decided it was unsafe to attempt a rescue.
In November, the couple appeared in a video being held at gunpoint by their captors as they pleaded for the government to negotiate their release.
They warned that the kidnappers were “losing patience” and that they “won’t hesitate to take our lives”.
The Sunday Times obtained the most recent interview with the couple through, “Omar”, a local journalist who travelled to the area where they are being held and allowed them to speak to the newspaper via his mobile phone.
The Foreign Office refuses to negotiate with hostage takers. A spokesman said: “We call for the release of Paul and Rachel. Our efforts are ongoing to secure the safe release of the couple. We are in close touch with the family.”
STATUS OF ABDUCTED VESSELS AND CREWS IN SOMALIA
Summary: Today, 15th December 2009, at least 11 foreign vessels plus one barge are kept in Somalia against the will of their owners, while at least 272 seafarers suffer to be released.
MS INDIAN OCEAN EXPLORER and S/Y SERENITY - presumed sunken, wrecks not secured.
FV HILAL - wrecked near Eyl, but salvaged by owner.
BARGE NN - an unnamed barge is held at Kulule (near Bendar-Beyla) since mid march.
S/Y JUMLA or YUMLA ? - a mysterious yacht kept near Dinooda.
MT AGIA BARBARA: INDIAN AND SYRIAN CREW STILL WANTED FOR MURDER - vessel escaped from Somalia after the murder of a TFG policeman and the attempted murder of another to the UAE - unhindered by international naval forces.
Cases in negotiations:
FV WIN FAR 161 - The Taiwanese fishing vessel was seized April 6, 2009 near the Seychelles. Said to have been observed earlier to fish illegally in Somali waters. It had after the sea-jacking been involved in the attack on MV ALABAMA. The crew of 30 (17 Filipinos, six Indonesians, five Chinese and two Taiwanese) is still together and on board, but in awful condition.
MV KOTA WAJAR: Seized on Oct. 15, 2009. The 24,637-tonne container ship, seized 300 nautical miles north of Seychelles, was heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa from Singapore. It has a multinational 21 men crew on board, of which two are Singaporean 5 Sri Lankan and 4 Indian. It was used to lift a sea-jacked British couple, John and Rachel Chandler from their 38-ft yacht S/Y LYNN RIVAL, seized October,22 2009 en route to Tanzania and later recovered by the UK naval vessel Waveknight, which brought the yacht back to England. The boxship is held around 30nm south of Hobyo and negotiations continue.
MV DE XIN HAI: Seized on Oct. 19, 2009. The 76,000 tonne Chinese bulk carrier with 25 Chinese sailors was en route from South Africa to carries about 76,000 tonnes of coal and there were 25 Chinese crew aboard when it was hijacked.
MV AL KHALIQ: Seized on Oct. 22, 2009. The Panamanian-flagged 22,000 dwt handymax bulker MV AL KHALIQ was abducted around180 miles west of the Seychelles. The crew consists of 24 Indian sailors and two Burmese nationals. Negotiations have started.
FV THAI UNION 3: Seized on Oct. 29, 2009. Pirates on two skiffs boarded the tuna fishing boat with a crew of 27 with 23 Russians, two Filipinos and two nationals from Ghana about 200 nautical miles north of the Seychelles and 650 miles off the Somali coast. During the attack the Russian captain was shot in the left elbow.
FV SHAXAR: , was impounded by a Somali militia overnight on Friday October 30, 2009 near Ras Hafun after a gun battle, in which at least one Somali was killed and another one wounded. Maybe this is the vessel which the Dutch navy nabbed yesterday afternoon - we are awaiting confirmation.
MV DELVINA: Seized on Nov. 5, 2009. The 53,629 dwt bulk carrier had 21 men crew consists of 7 Ukrainian officers and 14 Filipino sailors. The vessel was seized 250 nautical miles northwest of Madagascar and is laden with wheat. Negotiations have started.
MV FILITSA: Seized on Nov. 10, 2009. The 1996-built, 23,709 dwt cargo-ship has a crew of 22, including three Greek officers and 19 Filipinos. Held near Harardheere.
MV THERESA VIII: Seized on Nov. 16, 2009. The chemical tanker was hijacked in the southern Somali Basin, north-west of the Seychelles. The 22,294 dwt tanker has a crew of now only 28 North Koreans, since the captain of the tanker died from gunshot wounds sustained during the hijack.
VLCC MARAN CENTAURUS: Seized Nov 29, 2009. The tanker was sailing from Kuwait to the Gulf of Mexico when it was seized north-east of the Seychelles about 800 miles (1,300 km) off the coast of Somalia.. The dwt 300,294 tonnes tanker has a crew of 28 sailors with nine Greeks, two Ukrainians, one Romanian and 16 Filipinos on board.
FV SHAZAIB Seized Dec. 6, 2009: Pirates seized the Pakistani-flagged fishing vessel 320 miles east of Socotra, with a crew of 29 on board, thought to be in majority of Pakistani nationality.
MSV LAXMI SAGAR: Seized Dec. 6, 2009. The Indian-flagged cargo-dhow was briefly used as mother-ship.
Answers on how to resolve this problem on a postcard!!!!!
Michael
Paul and Rachel Chandler, the British couple kidnapped by Somali pirates, have pleaded with the government to “get us out by Christmas, by whatever means”.
The pair, taken captive from their yacht more than seven weeks ago, accused British officials of refusing to help secure their release.
Three weeks ago, in a video appearance, they begged for the government to intervene, saying that they feared they might be killed within a matter of days.
However, in a telephone interview with the Sunday Times, Mr Chandler, 59, vented his despair at the lack of progress in negotiations, admitting: “We don’t think there’s much chance, seriously.”
Mr Chandler, a retired quantity surveyor, said: “We have no knowledge of what is happening in Britain except that we have been told that the government has refused to become involved.
“As far as we are concerned it is not a straightforward piracy business, it is a plain criminal kidnapping and ... should be approached with a rather different approach than the government uses.
“When you have a criminal gang carrying out a kidnapping, [the government] should not be averse to negotiating with that gang and following it up with whatever means. I don’t think the government should step back and say ‘this is nothing to do with us’.
“I would like to say to the British government: get us out by Christmas, by whatever means.”
Pirates seized the Chandlers on October 23 as the couple sailed from the Seychelles in their 38ft yacht Lynn Rival towards Tanzania. They were later taken on land in Somalia and are being constantly moved around, living in vehicles, as their captors make various hostage demands.
It has since emerged that a Royal Navy warship manned by at least 10 Royal Marines and equipped with a helicopter were just 50 yards away but took no action as the pirates seized the couple.
The Ministry of Defence admitted that Bob Ainsworth, the defence secretary, had authorised the Royal Marines to intervene but it said it was the ship’s commander who decided it was unsafe to attempt a rescue.
In November, the couple appeared in a video being held at gunpoint by their captors as they pleaded for the government to negotiate their release.
They warned that the kidnappers were “losing patience” and that they “won’t hesitate to take our lives”.
The Sunday Times obtained the most recent interview with the couple through, “Omar”, a local journalist who travelled to the area where they are being held and allowed them to speak to the newspaper via his mobile phone.
The Foreign Office refuses to negotiate with hostage takers. A spokesman said: “We call for the release of Paul and Rachel. Our efforts are ongoing to secure the safe release of the couple. We are in close touch with the family.”
STATUS OF ABDUCTED VESSELS AND CREWS IN SOMALIA
Summary: Today, 15th December 2009, at least 11 foreign vessels plus one barge are kept in Somalia against the will of their owners, while at least 272 seafarers suffer to be released.
MS INDIAN OCEAN EXPLORER and S/Y SERENITY - presumed sunken, wrecks not secured.
FV HILAL - wrecked near Eyl, but salvaged by owner.
BARGE NN - an unnamed barge is held at Kulule (near Bendar-Beyla) since mid march.
S/Y JUMLA or YUMLA ? - a mysterious yacht kept near Dinooda.
MT AGIA BARBARA: INDIAN AND SYRIAN CREW STILL WANTED FOR MURDER - vessel escaped from Somalia after the murder of a TFG policeman and the attempted murder of another to the UAE - unhindered by international naval forces.
Cases in negotiations:
FV WIN FAR 161 - The Taiwanese fishing vessel was seized April 6, 2009 near the Seychelles. Said to have been observed earlier to fish illegally in Somali waters. It had after the sea-jacking been involved in the attack on MV ALABAMA. The crew of 30 (17 Filipinos, six Indonesians, five Chinese and two Taiwanese) is still together and on board, but in awful condition.
MV KOTA WAJAR: Seized on Oct. 15, 2009. The 24,637-tonne container ship, seized 300 nautical miles north of Seychelles, was heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa from Singapore. It has a multinational 21 men crew on board, of which two are Singaporean 5 Sri Lankan and 4 Indian. It was used to lift a sea-jacked British couple, John and Rachel Chandler from their 38-ft yacht S/Y LYNN RIVAL, seized October,22 2009 en route to Tanzania and later recovered by the UK naval vessel Waveknight, which brought the yacht back to England. The boxship is held around 30nm south of Hobyo and negotiations continue.
MV DE XIN HAI: Seized on Oct. 19, 2009. The 76,000 tonne Chinese bulk carrier with 25 Chinese sailors was en route from South Africa to carries about 76,000 tonnes of coal and there were 25 Chinese crew aboard when it was hijacked.
MV AL KHALIQ: Seized on Oct. 22, 2009. The Panamanian-flagged 22,000 dwt handymax bulker MV AL KHALIQ was abducted around180 miles west of the Seychelles. The crew consists of 24 Indian sailors and two Burmese nationals. Negotiations have started.
FV THAI UNION 3: Seized on Oct. 29, 2009. Pirates on two skiffs boarded the tuna fishing boat with a crew of 27 with 23 Russians, two Filipinos and two nationals from Ghana about 200 nautical miles north of the Seychelles and 650 miles off the Somali coast. During the attack the Russian captain was shot in the left elbow.
FV SHAXAR: , was impounded by a Somali militia overnight on Friday October 30, 2009 near Ras Hafun after a gun battle, in which at least one Somali was killed and another one wounded. Maybe this is the vessel which the Dutch navy nabbed yesterday afternoon - we are awaiting confirmation.
MV DELVINA: Seized on Nov. 5, 2009. The 53,629 dwt bulk carrier had 21 men crew consists of 7 Ukrainian officers and 14 Filipino sailors. The vessel was seized 250 nautical miles northwest of Madagascar and is laden with wheat. Negotiations have started.
MV FILITSA: Seized on Nov. 10, 2009. The 1996-built, 23,709 dwt cargo-ship has a crew of 22, including three Greek officers and 19 Filipinos. Held near Harardheere.
MV THERESA VIII: Seized on Nov. 16, 2009. The chemical tanker was hijacked in the southern Somali Basin, north-west of the Seychelles. The 22,294 dwt tanker has a crew of now only 28 North Koreans, since the captain of the tanker died from gunshot wounds sustained during the hijack.
VLCC MARAN CENTAURUS: Seized Nov 29, 2009. The tanker was sailing from Kuwait to the Gulf of Mexico when it was seized north-east of the Seychelles about 800 miles (1,300 km) off the coast of Somalia.. The dwt 300,294 tonnes tanker has a crew of 28 sailors with nine Greeks, two Ukrainians, one Romanian and 16 Filipinos on board.
FV SHAZAIB Seized Dec. 6, 2009: Pirates seized the Pakistani-flagged fishing vessel 320 miles east of Socotra, with a crew of 29 on board, thought to be in majority of Pakistani nationality.
MSV LAXMI SAGAR: Seized Dec. 6, 2009. The Indian-flagged cargo-dhow was briefly used as mother-ship.
Answers on how to resolve this problem on a postcard!!!!!
Michael
Dream on 