French Warship Intercepts Pirate Ship and Arrests 11 Gunmen

A French warship with an EU anti-piracy force intercepted on Wednesday April 15, 2009, what was described as a pirate mother-ship and arrested 11 gunmen whom they had been pursuing since the previous day after they had tried to seize a merchant ship.

"The pirates were sailing a 10-metre (33-foot) mother ship carrying 17 drums holding 200 litres of fuel each and two assault skiffs," a French defence ministry spokesman said. The French frigate NIVOSE captured these pirates, which brings the number of the French catch to 74, some 500 nautical miles (926 kilometres) east of the Kenyan port of Mombasa, the French Defence Ministry said.

The warship tracked the pirates after her helicopter thwarted an attack on the Liberian-flagged but Singapore-owned container carrier MV SAFMARINE ASIA. The Nivose is part of the eight-strong Atalante taskforce of warships from France, Germany, Spain and Italy sailing under the banner of the European Union to aid international efforts to curb a spate of Somali pirate attacks.

News of the incident came as the UN special envoy for Somalia said the attacks threatened international peace. He urged the pirates' financial backers to be identified and held accountable.

Source: Ecoterra Intl, April 16, 2009

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