WEST AFRICA:Pirates hijack Italian ship in Benin

Laaska News  July 25,2011

NAIROBI, July 24 (Xinhua) — Pirates have hijacked an Italian owned ship in Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin in West Africa, a regional maritime official confirmed on Sunday.

Andrew Mwangura, Maritime editor for Somalia Report said the Anema E Core was seized by the pirates early on Sunday with 23 crew members. “The ship owned by Rizzo Bottiglieri De Carini of Italy was hijacked this morning in Cotonou, the economic capital of Benin in West Africa,” Mwangura told Xinhua by telephone from Mombasa.

He said the crew is composed of two Italians, a Romanian and 20 Filipinos and the vessel was flying Italian flag when she was seized.

Last week, the pirates hijacked a Greek-owned Liberian flagged oil tanker Agean Star off Nigerian coast. However, Mwangura did not establish the nationalities of the crew members onboard.

 

Italian oil ship seized by pirates in Gulf of Guinea 

ROME, July 24 (Xinhua) — An Italian ship carrying diesel fuel was seized by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea on Sunday, local media reported.

A total of 23 crew members, including two Italian sailors, 20 Filipinos and a Rumanian captain, were on board the ship when it was intercepted and assaulted by the pirates, state television Rai and ANSA news agency said.

According to the Italian Foreign Ministry, the alarm was launched early in the morning when the vessel was sailing some 23 miles off from the Benin coast.

Three of the pirates succeeded to jump on the ship and take control of it.

The vessel “Rbd Anima e Core” belonged to a shipping company from Naples.

The Foreign Ministry crisis unit is closely monitoring the situation together with Naples port authorities.

Several Italian ships have been seized by pirates in recent months.

 

Xinhua

 

Laaska News.
www.laaska.wordpress.com