Pirates seize Danish freighter off Somalia

Pirates seize Danish freighter off SomaliaNairobi/Mogadishu - Pirates have seized a Danish-owned freighter off the coast of Somalia, a spokesman for the Kenya-based East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme said Tuesday.

Andrew Mwangura said at least 20 Filipino seamen were on board the Stella Maris, which was carrying a cargo of ore when it was boarded by heavily armed pirates on Sunday.

Mwangura said it was unclear why the Panama-registered vessel ignored international seafaring guidelines to stay 200 kilometres clear of the pirate-infested Somali coast.

"Maybe there was a technical problem, or bad weather forced the crew to change course," he said.

The Stella Maris, which was launched only last year, was last known to be in waters near the southern coast of the Horn of Africa nation.

Cargo ships and luxury yachts have often been targeted by heavily- armed pirates, who then hold the crew ransom.

Pirates are currently demanding 2 million dollars for the release of a German couple seized on June 23 as they sailed through the Gulf of Aden on a trip from Egypt to Thailand.

The highest-profile case in recent months involved the capture of a luxury French yacht in April. French troops rescued the hostages and captured six of the pirates, although another six are believed to have escaped.

The UN Security Council recently approved incursions into Somali waters to curb piracy, which the weak transitional government, currently engaged in countering a bloody insurgency, is powerless to prevent.

Somalia has been in a state of anarchy since the overthrow of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. (dpa)

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