(Xinhua) -- Kenya's maritime official confirmed late Thursday that Somali pirates have hijacked two more ships in the Gulf of Aden. Andrew Mwangura of the East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program told Xinhua, "The vessels were seized on Wednesday where the Dutch-owned vessel was hijacked on Monday. We have not received any information concerning the crew members and their nationalities," Mwangura said by telephone.
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He also said he has no information on who owns the MV Lehmann Timber and the MV Arena or demands by the pirates.
Somali authorities have publicly blamed Western firms for paying hefty ransoms thus encouraging more hijackings. Some pirates have been arrested in connection with the attacks, but that has failed to halt the hijackings. Last month the United States and France introduced a U.N. resolution that would allow countries to chase and arrest pirates off Somalia' s coast. Somalia has no navy and is unable to police its own shores. |