08.10.2009
Source:
More than 30 Somali pirates shipped out "for fishery" during two recent weeks disappeared, said Reuters on Thursday.
"We lost over 30 friends shipped out for hijacking vessels in two recent weeks", said pirate named Hassan in phone talk; he talked from Harardere – one of central Somali ports where sea robbers are basing.
"We lost communication with them and are afraid they had been taken captive or killed by the military. They also might be drowned", he added.
It was reported before that French mariners had taken captive five pirates attacked French naval tanker confusing it with cargo vessel.
Somali authorities are not able to settle piracy problem due to civil war lasting over 15 years in the country. According to the UN, 120 pirate assaults on merchant vessels were recorded near Horn of Africa in 2008.
Somali ceased to exist as united state in 1991 with the collapse of Siada Barre dictatorship. Currently, international community admits federal government as the only country's lawful authority, although it controls only capital city Mogadishu and central part of the country.
The rest of Somali territories are either under control of unrecognized governmental formations or self-governing territories having different or even opposite views on junction under Mogadishu authority. Example, southern and northeastern areas are governed by local tribes and radical islamic movements including those related to Al Qaeda; unrecognized Republic of Somaliland exists at northwest since May 1991.
