The Somali Piracy Epiphenomenon about to End. X – MV FAINA Crisis: the Epilogue

The epilogue of the MV FAINA piracy crisis is to be found in the last, Ecoterra 131st Press Release Update that I herewith publish integrally. I would therefore like to underscore the lingering significance of the leading environmental NGO’s efforts in sensitizing people allover the world with respect to the dangers ensuing from an ecological disaster in case of a calamitous explosion. It is to be hoped that all the other remaining cases of piracy will be soon peacefully solved.

131st Update 2009-02-05 23h15:23 UTC

Ecoterra Intl. - Stay Calm & Solve it Peaceful & Fast !

Ecoterra International – Update & Media Release on the stand-off concerning the Ukrainian weapons-ship hi-jacked by Somali pirates and related news.

We also can make sea-piracy in Somalia an issue of the past - with empathy and strength and through coastal and marine development as well as protection!

New EA Seafarers Assistance Programme Emergency Helpline: +254-738-497979
East African Seafarers Assistance Programme - Media Officer: +254-733-385868
EA Illegal Fishing and Dumping Hot line: +254-714-747090 (confidentiality guaranteed)

Day 134 - 3200 long hours into the MV FAINA Crisis - Update Summary

Ecoterra Press release

FAINA finally free !

"Ecoterra Intl. observes with great relief, and thanks to all who at the end worked together to achieve the peaceful release of MV FAINA, that we do no longer have a dreadful hostage situation and a potentially devastating danger posing at the Somali Indian Ocean coast off Hinbarwaqo", Dr. Hans-Juergen Duwe, spokesman for Ecoterra Intl. stated to the press. Dr. Duwe renewed Ecoterra's final demands. He requested that a medical team assists the seafarers immediately and establishes also any exposure to radiation, while the corps of deceased Captain Kolobkov is transferred to his widow in Russia with highest priority. Ecoterra also called for those UN agencies tasked with peacekeeping and arms-embargoes in the region as well as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) or the IAEA - concerned with nuclear hazards - as well as other relevant organizations to inspect the cargo after the ship is released. "As humanitarian organization we also have to seek a final clarification concerning the destination of the weapons and an independent investigation if the transported ammunition contains depleted uranium (DU), but for now we are happy that nothing serious happened during the 3200 long hours the FAINA was held", Dr. Duwe added.

Ecoterra Intl. urged all sides since the beginning of the case to solve the FAINA case with absolute top priority and peaceful in order to avert a human and environmental disasters at the Somali coast and warned that anybody encouraging hot-headed and concerning such difficult situations inexperienced and untrained gunmen or those, who believe they would be capable to try an attempt of a military solution, must be held fully responsible for the surely resulting disaster.

"For us the release of MV FAINA means also the end of a 134 day long ordeal during which we suffered like the abducted seafarers and their families not only from the ignorance of the Somali captors but also from the neglect shown by politicians and diplomats, officials and negotiators as well as the ignorance and cruelty of the ship-owners and their lackeys. Having been engaged in efforts to rescue the crew from the very first moment when the abducted vessel sailed back to the Somali coast, shadowed first by most likely a Russian vessel and then by a US-American frigate, we have to say that the over 4-month long stand-off was completely unnecessary and an inhuman negligence on the side of those responsible for crew, vessel and cargo. Already after the first few days the unofficial negotiations reached at exactly the same level for the ransom, which was now finally agreed to by the owner after needless maneuvers, which kept the crew hostage under terrible conditions. Most of the month-long pseudo-negotiations carried out by people, who stayed in a top-luxury hotel in Nairobi, and during endless days were useless, while all efforts had to be made to not allow the falcons to push a military solution through, which would have certainly ended in a catastrophe for the crew as well as the people at the coast. The suffering of the families, friends as well as the crew were enhanced by the intimidations, outright threats and persecutions, which even brought a seafarers' rights defender into one of Kenya's most cruel prisons".

"For many the saga of the weapons will continue, but for us the most important chapter is closed with the peaceful release of the crew, the rescue of the lives of these seafarers and with the disappearance of a serious and extremely hazardous problem from the Somali waters. We thank all those, who kept watch, helped to forestall dangerous moves on both sides and finally brought the two sides together in straight talks and to agree", Beatrice Kilonzo, a human rights advocate with Ecoterra in Nairobi added. Ecoterra worked constantly on the case in order to avert that the saga and secrecy surrounding MV FAINA would become - like in the MS ESTONIA case, which is the worst naval disaster in Europe since WW II - the shroud for its 20 seafarers. "Today is a happy day for the seafarers, their families and us, but all good-willing forces must work in future together to avert such cases from happening - this concerns the curbing of piracy, weapons-transporting as well as working for a more peaceful future in a re-developed Somalia!", the statement closed.

While many media reports and governmental statements incl. the Ukrainian president reported already since yesterday falsely that MV FAINA had been released, the confirmation came only after the Ukrainian Ombudswoman Nina Karpachova first called the second officer Oleksandre Prissoukha Thursday late afternoon. Then in the evening the acting captain, Russian national Viktor Nikolsky, telephoned the human rights commissioner, Nina Karpachova, and gave her the news. "Several minutes ago, the last group of pirates at last left the Faina. The entire crew are mobilized to the maximum", Nikolsky said. "The vessel will spend the whole night getting prepared for the voyage", he said. "If it becomes possible to get the main engine going, in the morning we'll set off by ourselves for Mombassa [in Kenya]. If there are any problems, we'll be tugged", he said. He thanked Karpachova on behalf of the ship's international crew for what he said was constant support and help.

In a weird twist the Iranian news agency PressTV claimed a Somali military official had said that Sudanese forces may attempt to destroy the Ukrainian vessel which has just been released by pirates. After its arrival at the port city, Sudanese soldiers might attempt to blow the ship up in order to eliminate the possibility of the weapons falling into the wrong hands, Press TV's correspondent quoted military official Abdulle Hassan Amin as saying. Somali politicians believe Kenya was not the vessel's ultimate destination as Kenyan authorities had not taken necessary security measures to guarantee the cargo's safe arrival.

There is no limit to what a person can do or how far one can go to help - if one doesn't mind who gets the credit !

Ecoterra Intl. still calls for human rights protection to be provided for all crew members, their families in Russia, the Ukraine and Latvia as well as for all well-meaning people assisting in solving the case, many of whom have been subjected already to serious threats, acts of intimidation and persecution.

The FAINA is one of at least 49 ships that pirates seized last year off the Horn of Africa during a surge in piracy driven in part by Somalia's growing poverty and instability. The multimillion dollar ransoms are believed by many to be one of the only ways to "make money" in the impoverished nation. But while the many cases of sea-jacked merchant vessels on innocent passage (sailing even outside the EEZ e.g. in the Indian Ocean) constitutes clear piracy, Somali actions against illegal fishing or against any transport of illegitimate or clandestine goods has a legal standing. Ecoterra advocates to end all destructive, detrimental, criminal and illegal activities in Somali waters.

Raising public awareness through legitimate criticism of government actions is a fundamental part of human rights work. We know the Ukrainian authorities don’t welcome facts or information about allegations, but governments trying to prevent torture or other internationally outlawed human rights violations or crimes should encourage reporting of complaints, but not retaliate against human rights defenders. Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantees the right to take part in the conduct of public affairs. The UN Human Rights Committee has stated that, "Citizens also take part in the conduct of public affairs by exerting influence through public debate". States also have obligations specifically relating to protecting and ensuring the right of human rights defenders to do their work. The United Nations Declaration on Human Rights Defenders states that everyone has the right to promote the protection and realization of human rights and that individuals or groups have the right to articulate criticism and make proposals for improving the work of government bodies, among other rights. Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee free speech. Government officials are expected to be more receptive to criticism than private citizens, especially when it concerns the carrying out of their official duties.

Clearing-house:

News from other abducted or newly attacked ships ---

Games Crazy People Play: Kidnapping, Pirating, and War & Naval War-games to protect Fish-piracy and to cover the real agenda

MT LONGCHAMP has been transferred from Dhanaane to Eyl with 12 captors and 13 crew on-board.

MV CHEMSTAR VENUS has lost its second anchor and the captain fears that it might run out of fuel soon.

With the latest captures and releases now still at least 13 foreign vessels with a total of 223 crew members accounted for (of which 57 are Filipinos) are held in Somali waters and are monitored on our actual case-list, while several other cases of ships, which were observed off the coast of Somalia and have been reported or had reportedly disappeared without trace or information, are still being followed. Over 134 incidences (including attempted attacks, averted attacks and successful sea-jackings) have been recorded for 2008 with 49 fully documented, factual sea-jacking cases (for Somalia, incl. the presently held) and the mistaken sinking of one vessel by a naval force. For 2009 the account stands at 17 averted or abandoned attacks and 6 sea-jackings on the Somali/Yemeni pirate side as well as one wrongful attack by friendly fire on the side of the naval forces. Mystery pirate mother-vessels Athena/Arena and Burum Ocean as well as not fully documented cases of absconded vessels are not listed in the sea-jack count until clarification. Several other vessels with unclear fate (also not in the actual count), who were reported missing over the last ten years in this area, are still kept on our watch-list, though in some cases it is presumed that they sunk due to bad weather or being unfit to sail. In the last four years, 22 missing ships have been traced back with different names, flags and superstructures.

Directly related news ------

As we reported one of the most notorious pirates in Somalia was killed Monday in Garowe, the capital of Puntland, a self-governing region in northeastern Somalia. Details were now released by Radio Garowe: Bi'ir Abdi, described as a pirate master, was killed alongside a fellow pirate named Khame Mohamud Arale after two gunmen opened fire on their vehicle, officials said. Garowe police commander Ahmed Dheere told Radio Garowe that the suspected killers were apprehended moments after the fatal shooting. Abdulkadir Osman "Food-Adde", Garowe's city mayor, congratulated the local police force for capturing the killers, who are being kept under police protection to prevent possible retaliation. Some reports said the group of pirates disagreed over financial shares, forcing one group to prepare a sneak attack on the other. Pirate gangs have turned against each other several times in recent months, but this marks the first time a well-known pirate was killed. Inside sources said the late Bi'ir was involved in numerous ship hijackings ever since pirate attacks surged in 2007.

Amnesty International Calls for Investigation of Civilian Deaths in Somalia As Allegations Point to Shooting Incident by African Union Peace Operation. Instead, AMISOM Spokesman Blames Deaths on Roadside Explosion. Amnesty International today called for an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into allegations that AMISOM, the African Union peace support operation in Somalia, opened fire indiscriminately in the capital of Mogadishu, killing civilians on Monday, (February 2). An AMISOM spokesperson denied that troops opened fire on civilians, saying that three civilians were killed and one of their soldiers injured by an explosion on the Maka Al-Mukarama road that targeted one of their vehicles. But Amnesty International has received several reports that AMISOM soldiers fired indiscriminately in response to the explosion, killing at least 10 civilians on board or boarding buses on that road, and injuring at least a dozen others. Reports indicate that at least 10 bodies with gunshot wounds were transported to the Medina hospital in the capital.

AMISOM later stated that civilians killed in the incident were victims of both the explosion and gunfire fired by armed opposition groups. The human rights organization said an investigation is needed to establish the number and identity of the civilians killed and injured in the incident, the nature of their injuries and the sources of the gunfire. If it reveals that AMISOM soldiers did open fire, the investigation should also establish whether all feasible precautions were taken to spare civilian deaths and injuries. Soldiers alleged to have opened fire should be suspended from duty pending the results of the investigation and anyone found responsible for violations of international humanitarian law should be brought to justice. "It is crucial that an effective public investigation is conducted into accusations that AMISOM troops unlawfully killed civilians. This would send a message to the Somali population that AMISOM is willing to uphold standards of international humanitarian law, in a situation where all parties to the conflict have unlawfully killed civilians with impunity", said Michelle Kagari, deputy director of Amnesty International's Africa program. Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned attacks on civilians by all parties to the conflict in Somalia. Armed groups fighting the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) forces have used explosive devices in civilian-populated areas and launched attacks from civilian areas, while TFG forces, militias and their allies have carried out indiscriminate attacks as well as directly targeted civilians in response to attacks by armed groups.

Impacting news from the global village -------

A top U.N. official for refugees says the agency wants to relocate Somali refugees in Kenya because the camp they live in hosts more than double the number it was built for. U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Refugees Craig Johnstone says a collection of camps in eastern Kenya was built to hold only 90,000 people. But now it is host to 244,217 mostly Somali refugees, says Johnstone. He says the refugee population has grown rapidly in the past two years despite Kenya closing its border with Somalia two years ago. Kenya closed its border when Ethiopian troops invaded Somalia to oust Islamists. The Ethiopians left last month and a moderate Islamist is the new president of Somalia.

For families of presently captive seafarers and in order to console their worries, Ecoterra Intl. can make contacts with professional seafarers, who had been abducted in Somalia, as well as of a Captain of a sea-jacked and released ship, who agreed to be addressed "with questions, and we will try and answer truthfully".

End of the Ecoterra 131st Press Release Update