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SECOND SHIP HIJACKED AS TALKS BETWEEN WFP AND PIRATES FAIL September 25, 2005
Somali pirates who have been holding WFP rented cargo ship, Kenyan MV Semlow in Central Somalia since June have captured another one. The identity of the second ship is not known yet but witnesses in the area where both ships are being held said it is likely a freight ship. Hijackers boarded it on their way back from Mogadishu where negotiation with WPF fell apart.
The hijackers agreed last week to free the WFP cargo ship which was in central Somalia at the time after intense and long negotiations with WFP and officials. However, negotiations broke after the ship was moved to Mogadishu area port for unloading. Reports say El Ma'an port authority ordered the ship to leave the port after the armed men onboard produced new demands and the WPF nullified all agreements with them. WFP Somalia deputy country director, Leo van der Velden said "It is now clear that the hijackers are not demonstrating any meaningful actions towards finding the necessary resolution of this problem.â€
In a statement issued yesterday, WFP said the hijackers failed to comply with a deal to end the three month saga and release the ship, its 10-man crew and 850-ton humanitarian cargo of rice. “In the light of their failure to comply with the deal reached this week and the earlier agreement to end the crisis on August 5, we have no choice but to declare that from our standpoint, the agreements reached so far are null and void," Mr. Velden said.