Somali pirates release cargo ship: UN

NAIROBI: Somali pirates have released a Lebanese-owned cargo ship seized last week as it headed to pick upfood aid for Africa, a U.N. spokesman said Monday.

 

The Togo-flagged MV Sea Horse was released Friday, U.N. World Food Program spokesman Peter Smerdon said, citing the ship's operators. He had no more details and it was not known if a ransom was paid.

 

The release was rare good news in the pirate crisis plaguing the Horn of Africa. Pirates still hold at least 17 other ships and around 300 crew. Most ships are held for multimillion-dollar ransoms.

 

Somali clan elder Abdisalan Khalif Ahmed told foreign news agency from the Somali pirate haven of Harardhere that gunmen released the ship after they found out it was supposed to pick up food destined for Somalia.

Source: Pakistan Times