Belgian ship hijacked off Horn of Africa by Somali pirates

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Sunday, April 19, 2009

Somalia

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• 3 December 2009: At least fifteen killed after suicide bombing in Somali hotel
• 1 December 2009: Somali pirates seize Greek-owned tanker
• 19 November 2009: Somali pirates attack US-flagged ship, vessel evades capture
• 18 November 2009: European Union to train Somali security forces
• 12 November 2009: Judge known for jailing pirates shot dead in Bossaso, Somalia

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A Belgian ship has been hijacked by Somali pirates in waters off the coast of the Horn of Africa, according to a Belgian government's crisis management centre spokesman. The vessel involved in the incident was the 65-metre, 1,850 Pompei, en route to the Seychelles islands, located further south.

The ship sent out two alarms at 04.30 and 05.00 GMT on Friday. Aboard the vessel were ten crew members, including four Croatians, three Filipinos, two Belgians and the Dutch captain.

"The ship has been spotted and we can confirm that it has been taken hostage," Benoit Ramacker of the crisis management centre said.

Meanwhile, in the Gulf of Aden, located further north, a NATO commander announced that the authorities had responded from a distress call sent by a Marshall Islands tanker, which had also come under attack by pirates.

Piracy is rampant in the waters off Africa's eastern shores, with sixty ships having been hijacked by pirates since the beginning of last year.

Sources

• "Somali Pirates Seize Belgian Ship off Horn of Africa". VOA News, April 18, 2009
• "Pirates seize Belgian ship off Aden". Al Jazeera, April 18, 2009
  

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