Wednesday, May 04, 2011
EU Naval Force Somalia spokesman Paddy O'Kennedy said the MV Sinar Kudus which was hijacked on March 16 by about 30 to 50 Somali pirates was released on Sunday. "The bulk cargo carrier the MV Sinar Kudus was released from pirate control on May 1 after 46 days in captivity. The ship is now sailing to a safe port," O'Kennedy said.
He said the MV Sinar Kudus, which is Indonesian flagged and owned, was on its way to Suez (Egypt) from Singapore when it was attacked. The MV Sinar Kudus has a crew of 20, all Indonesian.
The Gulf of Aden, a body of water between Somalia and Yemen, is the main sea route between Europe and Asia.
Tankers carrying Middle East oil through the Suez Canal must pass first through the Gulf of Aden. About 4 percent of the world's daily oil supply is shipped through the gulf.
The attacks are being carried out by increasingly well- coordinated Somali gangs armed with automatic weapons and rocket- propelled grenades, maritime officials said.
The Horn of Africa nation has been without a functioning government since 1991, and remains one of the world's most violent and lawless countries.