Report on Somalia Detailed Weekly Piracy Report and On-the-Ground Analysis Piracy - At Sea - On Land - Domestic News - International Developments Report on Somalia ~ SUMMARY May 28 - June 10, 2012 (week 21 - 22) At Sea: • During this reporting period, the number of piracy incidents in the High Risk Area Key Statistics (HRA) has remained low with no reports of successful hijackings occurring. There was one report of an attack on a ocean-going tug, the VOUKEFALAS (Pages 4 • Hijacks: 0 and 13). • Attacks: 1 • Releases: 1 Weather Analysis: • As the South-west monsoon season continues to develop, the weather forecast throughout the following week will continue to be less favorable for pirate activity. Water conditions will be unfavorable for small skiffs and boats along the coast of Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. Further out into the ocean, water conditions will also be less favorable for smaller vessels and will remain unfavorable throughout the week, as such, any pirate attacks or hijackings to occur further out in the ocean will likely be done so by motherships. Water conditions closer to the coasts of Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania will improve slightly however conditions will remain unfavorable for smaller craft to maneuver in the area. It has been assessed that pirates operating in skiffs or small boats will likely stay within the Gulf of Aden, as water conditions in the area will be more favorable for smaller craft. Therefore vessels traveling through the area are advised to exercise extreme caution as it is likely that attacks or hijackings will be concentrated in the Gulf of Aden (Pages 6 - 7). Updates: • MT LIQUID VELVET - reports have confirmed that the Greek-owned Marshall Islands-flagged chemical tanker was released by Somali pirates on 4 June (Page 4). • MV ORNA - pirates have been claiming that the crew members on board the vessel have been suffering from ailments however this has been seen as an attempt made by the pirate gang in order to speed up the ransom agreement (Page 4). • MV ALBEDO - little progress continues to be made in the efforts to release the hostages that are onboard the vessel as donor commitments for the ransom have failed to deliver the money on time (Pages 4 - 5). • Hostages - Sources have indicated that the two Spanish female hostages from MSF, Montserrat Serra and Blanca Thiebaut, have been moved into al-Shabaab-held Kismayo (Page 5). Piracy Related News: • 6 June 2012 - The Puntland Marine Police Force (PMPF) attacked covered pirate vehicles in Bali-Dhidddin village in the Qandala district of Puntland’s Bar region (Page 5 - 6). • 1 June 2012 - Pirates who are accused of kidnapping Paul and Rachel Chandler could be taken to the UK to stand trail (Page 6). • 31 May 2012 - Marking the first time that countries have repatriated pirates who have finished their sentences, 18 Somali pirates were returned to Puntland from India (Page 6). • 29 May 2012 - al-Shabaab militants, who are battling for control of Somalia, have claimed that they repelled two warships that were near their stronghold of Kismayo, a port city in Somalia’s Lower Jubba region (Page 6). • The Puntland government along with the Puntland Police Marine Force (PMPF) entered Hafun on 26 May and captured six pirates (Page 6). 24 hr Global Contact: +44 207 754 3555 www.msrisk.com On Land: • Insecurity across Somalia has continued as the allied forces proceeded to fight al-Shabaab; rising pressure from the West begins to mount as the deadline for the Presidential elections in August draws nearer. Subsequently stabilization of the country, and preventing further attacks from al-Shabaab, will continue to be key issues on the agendas of the allied forces during the following months. Over the past two weeks, several attacks have occurred in central Somalia however the bulk of the fighting has taken place in the southern part of the country, especially in the region of Lower Jubba, as the allied forces are preparing to attack the port of Kismayo which remains a key strategic town for al-Shabaab (Page 8 - 10). International Developments: • 8 June 2012 - UK Prime Minister David Cameron has signed an agreement with Mauritius which will allow for the transfer and prosecution of suspected Somali pirates who have been captured by the British Navy to occur on the Indian Ocean Island (Page 10 - 11). • The United States has announced that they will offer millions of dollars for the whereabouts of seven key members of al-Shabaab (Page 11). • 31 May 2012 - Coverage of the two-day Conference on Somalia which is taking place in Istanbul, Turkey (Page 11 - 12). • 29 May 2012 - More than half of the former crewmen of the MAERSK ALABAMA have filed lawsuits against Maersk Line Ltd ((Page 12). • 28 May 2012 - Al-Shabaab likely responsible for an explosion that killed 33 in the capital city of Nairobi (Page 12). Next Week’s Edition Will Include a Special Report on West African Piracy Report on Somalia May 28 - June 10, 2012 (week 21 - 22) At Sea: • During this reporting period the number of piracy incidents in the High Risk Area (HRA) has remained low with no successful hijackings occurring. Due to the Key Statistics South-west monsoon season, which occurs between June and September, sea conditions are expected to remain generally unfavorable for smaller boats and • Hijacks: 0 skiffs. • Attacks: 1 • 1 June 2012 - in the Gulf of Aden, the VOUKEFALAS, a Panamanian-flagged • Releases: 1 ocean-going tug was attacked in position 11:14N - 047:59E, approximately 70 nautical miles west of Bosasso, Somalia. The vessel reported being fired upon by pirates in one skiff. Coalition Naval forces, that were in the area at the time of the attack, launched a helicopter in order to assist the tug while local security forces launched one small boat which managed to disperse the pirates. The vessel and crew have been reported safe. Updates: • MT LIQUID VELVET - reports have confirmed that the MT LIQUID VELVET, a Greek-owned Marshall Islands- flagged chemical tanker, which was hijacked on 31 October of last year, was released by Somali pirates on 4 June. There are unconfirmed reports which place the ransom at more than US $4 million however these reports have not been verified. The vessel, which has 21 crew members from the Philippines on board, was taken in the Gulf of Aden in position 12:02N - 045:38E after it was attacked by eight pirates in a skiff. At the time of the attack, the vessel was transiting from the Suez to India. The 17-year old tanker has a gross tonnage of 5,998 tons and is owned by Athens-based Elmira Tankers. The initial ransom demand was US $8 million and was requested 49 days after the vessel was hijacked however it has not yet been established as to how much the hijackers received for the release of the vessel. It is believed that the Liquid Velvet was being held by Aw-Kombe, a well-known pirate from the Bari region. Upon its release, the vessel was heading to the port of Salalah in Oman. The Philippine embassy in Muscat has been asked to send representatives in order to meet the vessel and provide assistance to the crew members once the vessel docks. • MV ORNA - Pirates in Haradhere have stated that crew members on the MV ORNA have been suffering from ailments possibly related to poor diet and water. However such warnings of dire situations and poor health have been previously used as attempts by the pirate gangs to place pressure on the owners in order to receive a ransom payment. According to sources, the negotiations to release the vessel have failed at least five times. Initially reports indicated that the pirates had demanded a ransom of US $3 million which was then reduced to US $1.2 million. Although part of the vessel was damaged by fire in an accident last year, the vessel is still functioning and has been used as a mothership three times. The 19 crew members on board are comprised of 18 Syrians and one Sri Lankan who have been held hostage since the vessel was hijacked in December of 2010. The vessel is currently in the area between Haradhere and Handule. Several weeks ago, an EU aircraft targeted equipment that belonged to the hijackers of of the MV ALBEDO and the MV ORNA, in a small camp near Handule. The pirate group which is holding the vessel is led by Abdi Dheere, a pirate leader from the Saleban clan while the investors are Buundo (a pirate from Cayr) and Xuseen Jiis (a pirate from Saleban). • MV ALBEDO - reports have indicated that there has been little progress in the efforts to secure the release of the hostages onboard the MV ALBEDO as donor commitments have failed to collect and deliver the ransom amount to the Somali pirates. Following negotiations with the pirate gang, it was agreed that a ransom of US $2.85 million would be paid. The Malaysian-flagged vessel is owned by Malaysian-based shop owner Omid Khosrojerdi who confirmed that US $1.25 million would be arranged by him while the remaining balance, US $1.6 million, would be arranged by Pakistan in order to ensure the release of the hostages. Families of the Pakistani crew appealed to the public in a bid to raise the remaining funds, they also launched a massive fund collection drive through the media as well as through door to door collection. On 15 May 2012, the Malaysian owners of the vessel confirmed to Pakistan that it would pay the remaining amount however it has been over 24 hr Global Contact: +44 207 754 3555 www.msrisk.com three weeks since the Pakistani families fulfilled their commitment while they have been unable to contact the Malaysian owner as he has been suffering from severe illness.