| Somali piracy starts affecting fuel pump prices in Uganda |
| KAMPALA, Nov. 22 (Xinhua) -- Piracy off the coast of Somalia is partly to blame for the increasing pump prices in Uganda, a top government official said here on Saturday. Kamander Bataringaya, minister of state for energy in charge of minerals told reporters that freight charges have gone up due to the increased risk of petroleum tankers being hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. He said the insurance premiums for the tankers have also gone up which has forced dealers to pass the cost pressures on to the consumers. Pump prices especially in the capital Kampala have been unstable in recent weeks with the highest being 2,850 shillings (1.6 U.S. dollars) for a liter of petrol. Other factors pushing up the prices include depreciation of the local currency against the dollar, increase in transit truck charges due to the three axle weight limitation introduced in Kenya. Uganda imports and exports all its products through the Kenyan sea port of Mombasa because it is land locked. Analysts have warned that prices of basic consumer goods are also expected to increase as shipping operators opt for alternative routes to avoid the pirate-infested waters. Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been on the increase affecting the shipping route, the world's busiest trade route, linking the Middle East and Asia to Europe and beyond through the Suez Canal.
Chinese FM: China to exert utmost effort to rescue its fishing ship hijacked by Somali pirates BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry was further checking the information about the hijack of a Chinese fishing ship seized by Somali pirates, and would exert utmost effort to rescue the ship and the crew aboard, according to the consular news released Friday evening by Chinese Foreign Ministry on its web site. Chinese Foreign Ministry was going to spare no effort to rescue the seized ship and the crew aboard, in coordination with relevant organizations and Chinese overseas representative offices, according to the news. Full story Somali pirates wreak havoc along key shipping route BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Attacks by pirates off the coast of Somalia have fiercely intensified, with five vessels reportedly hijacked in the past week, including Saudi-owned supertanker Sirius Star, the largest vessel ever seized at sea. On Wednesday, a Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship was confirmed to have been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden near the coast of Yemen. Full story Hijacked supertanker moors off Somalia as eight pirates escape prison The Sirius Star, capable of carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, along with its international crew of 25, was hijacked over the weekend by Somali pirates 450 miles off the coast of the Kenyan port town of Mombasa and has since been heading towards the Somali port town of Harard here in Puntland. Full story NAIROBI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Somalia pirates have hijacked a Hong Kong cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden near the coast of Yemen, a regional maritime official confirmed on Wednesday. The vessel Delight, loaded with 26,000 tons of wheat, was bound for Iran's Bandar Abbas Port when it was hijacked. Full story Somali pirates hijack cargo ship with 23 crew NAIROBI, Nov. 16 (Xinhua) -- Armed gunmen have hijacked a cargo ship carrying 23 crew off the coast of Somalia, a regional maritime official confirmed here Sunday. Andrew Mwangurea, the coordinator of the East Africa Seafarers Association, said the Japanese freighter, whose crewmen include five South Koreans, was hijacked by an armed group in waters off Somalia late on Saturday. Full Story Chinese fishing boat hijacked by Somali pirates NAIROBI, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- A group of unidentified persons armed with grenade launchers and automatic weapons attacked a Chinese fishing boat off the coast of Kenya Thursday night, a regional maritime official said on Friday. Andrew Mwangura, coordinator of the East African Seafarers' Association (SAP) said the pirates hijacked the Chinese fishing boat with 24 crew members and demanded it sail toward the coastal area off Somalia. Full Story EU anti-piracy operation to begin on Dec. 8 "We proposed to our European partners to take up this mission," said Morin. At the beginning of December, five or six warships will begin patrolling in the Gulf of Aden where pirates infest. Full story The Islamist Al-Shabaab group's media chief, Sheik Hassan YakubAli, said that the group will secure the sea off the southern part of the country saying they will form a task force to protect shipsheading to the area. Full story |
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