Talks under way to free hijacked Ukrainian ship off Somali coast

Nairobi: Negotiations are taking place by phone to free a Ukrainian ship hijacked by Somali pirates with 33 tanks and other military hardware on board, a maritime official said on Tuesday.

The gunmen have demanded $20 million (Dh73.5 million) to release the MV Faina, seized in a hijacking last week that has thrown an international spotlight on rampant piracy in one of the world's busiest shipping areas.

"The negotiations between the Ukrainian owners and the pirates are still going on over the phone," said Andrew Mwangura, an official of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme. "It will take a while because the Ukrainian company may not pay all the money."

Questions over cargo

US navy ships are watching the boat, whose capture has also raised questions over the destination of its cargo. Kenya says the T-72 tanks, grenade-launchers and ammunition were for its military but the US navy believes they were headed for south Sudan via the port city of Mombasa.

Taking advantage of chaos on shore, where an insurgency has raged for nearly two years, Somali pirates have seized more than 30 ships this year and attacked many more.

Most attacks have been in the Gulf of Aden between Yemen and north Somalia, a major global sea artery used by about 20,000 vessels a year heading to and from the Suez Canal.

The pirates denied reports that three members of their group had been killed on Tuesday in a shootout between rivals arguing over what to do with the ship.

Mwangura said the ship was owned by a Panama-based firm and managed by the Ukrainians. There are 20 crew on board after one Russian died of illness. Most of the crew are Ukrainians, with two Russians and a Latvian.

Meanwhile, US Navy ships and helicopters keep a watchful eye on the Ukrainian freighter carrying Russian battle tanks and arms while talks were held with pirates off the Somali coast.

Mounting tension

Some reports said the pirates had fought among themselves amid mounting tension as a maritime siege involving two of the world's greatest naval powers intensifies.

The Pentagon later suggested it could wait days for a Russian warship to arrive with the emphasis on ensuring a "peaceful resolution".

The pirates have taken the Belize-registered MV Faina to their lair off Somalia's Indian Ocean coast and are demanding a $20-million ransom after its seizure last Thursday.

"We are still surrounded by foreign ships. There is 24-hour surveillance, helicopters are flying overhead, but no action has been taken against us," the pirates' spokesman Sugule Ali said over satellite telephone from the ship.

"We are prepared for any eventuality," he warned.

Andrew Mwangura, who runs the Kenya chapter of the Seafarers Assistance Programme, said three pirates were killed during a shootout after a disagreement on what to with the ship.

"The pirates are paranoid, the situation is very tense on the ship. That is why we are asking the naval ships to pull back and pave the way for negotiations," Mwangura said.