Puntland ‘takes on pirates’

Owners of hijacked ships being held off Somalia will be on high alert asthe regional government reportedly dispatches naval vessels to combatpirates.

The administration in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, from where
virtually all Somali piracy originates, is “going to conduct operations against the
pirates” in some areas around the Horn of Africa, according to a BBC Monitor
report. An unknown number of local naval vessels have reportedly already been sent to two coastal towns in the region, Caluula and Bargaal. Said Mohamed Rage, Puntland’s ports and marine transport minister, is “confident that the new operation against the pirates would reduce their attacks in Somalia waters,” according to the BBC report which is based on report from
Somali radio station Simba on Monday. If Puntland forces are indeed dispatched to these two
locations immediately east and west of the very tip of the Horn, it would appear to place them
on a collision course with pirates holding two chemical tankers.
The 14,500-dwt Golden Blessing (built 2010), which was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on 28 June, has seemingly been switching position from either side of the Horn. Vessel tracking software appears to place it currently a short distance south-west of Caluula. It has previously been placed at or near Bargaal. The 13,000-dwt Greek tanker Motivator (built 2007) has largely been held in the same position south-west of Caluula since it was seized in the Red Sea on 4 July.
The current position of the most recently-hijacked ship, the 6,375-dwt Greek chemical tanker Olib G (built 1988), is unknown. A number of hijacked fishing vessels are also thought to be being held around the tip of the Horn. Although Puntland authorities often make bombastic noises about breaking up pirate gangs and retaking hijacked ships, the words are very rarely backed up with real actions. There have been some notable successes in terms of arresting suspected pirates on land, but on occasions where local troops have become involved with hijacked ships there have sometimes been tragic consequences. Most recently when troops tried to retake the 15,000-dwt QSM Dubai (built 1978), a UAE-owned ship hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on 2 June, they succeeded but the Pakistani master was killed in the crossfire. Puntland forces also intervened in the hijacking of the 3,250-dwt Wael H (built 1976) in October 2008. Although they managed to secure its release some
pirates and troops were killed in the extensive operation. Neither Bargaal nor Caluula are considered significant pirate strongholds, such as Hobyo, Eyl, Garacad and Harardhere along Puntland’s east coast. In other piracy news from the region, the seized fishing vessel Prantalay 14 left its anchorage position at Garacad on Monday and is feared being used as a pirate
The Motivator and perhaps the Golden Blessing are thought to be near the site marked X.
mothership as skiffs and ladders were spotted onboard, NATO said.

By Eoin O'Cinneide in London
Published: 11:33 GMT, 21 Sep 10 updated: 11:39 GMT, 21 Sep 10