- Alleged Somali pirates have seized a North Korean tanker with its 28 crew members, in waters off Somalia, the EU’s naval forces have reported in a statement.
The statement said MV Theresa VIII, a Singaporean-operated tanker, was taken on Monday in the south Somali Basin, 180 nautical miles north-west of the Seychelles, heading for Mombasa port in Kenya.
The MV Theresa VIII, the owner of which is based in the Virgin Islands, is a tanker of 22,294 deadweight tones.
More than 10 ships and 200 hostages are currently being held by pirates operating in waters off Somalia.
Meanwhile, the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, said the Somali government and the African Union force in the country need more help on land to fight piracy in the waters.
In a report to the Security Council on the situation of piracy and armed robbery in territorial waters and high seas off the coast of Somalia, Mr Ban said one of the ways to ensure the long-term security of international navigation off the coast of Somalia is through a concerted effort to stabilise the situation ashore.
“Pirates have become more sophisticated in their methods and techniques of attacking,” he stated.
He said that the expanding maritime presence by Member States is playing a critical role in stabilising the situation in the Gulf of Aden, calling for an integrated approach that would strengthen the capacities of the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on land.
He further emphasised that the approach should include further development of law and security institutions to complement the ongoing peace process in the strife-torn nation, including for the investigation and prosecution of those suspected of acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea.
Last year, Western nations deployed a flotilla of warships to secure the Gulf of Aden as a surge in piracy threatened a key maritime route. This has since seen the pirates switch to the Indian Ocean.
afrol News - It is called "financial inclusion", and it is a key government policy in Rwanda. The goal is that, by 2020, 90 percent of the population is to have and actively use bank accounts. And in only four years, financial inclusion has doubled in Rwanda.
afrol News - The UN's humanitarian agencies now warn about a devastating famine in Sudan and especially in South Sudan, where the situation is said to be "imploding". Relief officials are appealing to donors to urgently fund life-saving activities in the two countries.
afrol News - Fear is spreading all over West Africa after the health ministry in Guinea confirmed the first Ebola outbreak in this part of Africa. According to official numbers, at least 86 are infected and 59 are dead as a result of this very contagious disease.
afrol News - It is already a crime being homosexual in Ethiopia, but parliament is now making sure the anti-gay laws will be applied in practical life. No pardoning of gays will be allowed in future, but activist fear this only is a signal of further repression being prepared.
afrol News / Africa Renewal - Ethiopia's ambitious plan to build a US$ 4.2 billion dam in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, 40 km from its border with Sudan, is expected to provide 6,000 megawatts of electricity, enough for its population plus some excess it can sell to neighbouring countries.
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