Ro-ro with 30 tanks onboard is seized off Somalia

Military intervention or huge ransom payment probable solutions for securing vessel’s release

David Osler - Monday 29 September 2008

SOMALIAN pirates have captured a Ukrainian ship carrying around 30 Soviet-era T-72 tanks, other weapons and spare parts for armoured vehicles.

Initial reactions from experts was that the hijack was probably random, with the pirates unaware of the sensitive nature of the cargo. They also point out that it will be impossible to offload the tanks at any of the small ports available locally.

The two most likely scenarios now are either military intervention by the west, or a huge ransom payment to secure release of the military hardware.

The vessel has been named as the Belize-flagged, 1978-built, 10,932 dwt ro-ro Faina. It is understood to be operated by Ukrainian interests. Some 21 seafarers are reportedly on board.

According to a statement from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Faina’s master reported being surrounded by three boats of armed men on Thursday afternoon.

The military consignment was bound for the Kenyan port of Mombasa, from where it was due to be transported by road to southern Sudan.

Although the consignee has not been confirmed, the tanks were most likely intended for the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, a former rebel group that signed a peace agreement with the Sudanese government in 2005 after 22 years of civil war. It now rules southern Sudan as a semi-autonomous territory, and is legally entitled to purchase such weaponry.

One shipping source, who has negotiated with Somali pirates on behalf of shipowners, pointed out: “They can’t get the tanks off and do anything with them without people seeing, and if they did that, it would betray who is supporting them and working with them shoreside.”

Roger Middleton, a researcher with the foreign affairs think tank Chatham House, said: “My initial guess is that they have taken this ship not realising the full consequences. It’s unlikely the ship was targeted specifically because it was carrying the tanks.

“The pirates, if they have any sense, are going to be very nervous. Where are they going to unload these things? You can’t float a tank off a ship on to the beach.

“Having said that, I would have thought 30 tanks, ship and crew would demand a sizeable ransom, if you can avoid not being attacked and being forcibly removed from the ship.

“Their calculations now will have to be very careful. They have upped the risks for themselves considerably.”

Mr Middleton pointed out that France has sent commandos to rescue French nationals held by Somalians on two occasions this year, and speculated that other states with forces in the region may now decide that this is the time for action. But that is not a risk-free option.

“The dangers of intervening militarily in these cases are very high. There’s the danger to the troops you send in, and also to the crew and the vessel and thecargo.”

With T-72s widely used in Africa — despite being an early 1970s design that fares poorly against the US M1 Abrams and British Challenger 1 models in the first and second Gulf conflicts — the spare parts could also have a high market value, he added.

Moreover, the haul is thought to include rocket propelled grenades and anti-aircraft guns, which are weapons of choice for many regional insurgents.

The Royal Institute of Naval Architects’ Mark Lambert pointed out that a ro-ro needs either a quayside or a pontoon to discharge, as the doors open at some distance above ground height.

“In theory, you could leave the vessel in deepish sheltered water and take some other sort of craft out there, and by sheer muscle and a pulley system, you might be able to [get the tanks off]. But at 41 tonnes, they are pretty heavy.”

A spokeswoman for Coalition Task Force 150, the Danish-led naval taskforce including US Navy and Royal Navy assets charged with patrolling the Gulf of Aden, said that it was aware of the development and monitoring the situation, but could not comment on the likely response.

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