Stolt Valor lastest victim of Horn of Africa hijacking

Pirates seize chemical tanker within hours of Carre DÂ’as release

Keith Wallis and David Osler - Wednesday 17 September 2008

THE 25,269 dwt chemical tanker Stolt Valor, with 22 crew on board, has become the latest vessel to be hijacked by armed pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden.

The 2003-built, Hong Kong-flagged vessel, which is on time charter to Stolt Tankers, was heading south through the gulf towards Asia when it was boarded and hijacked on Monday evening. The pirates only made contact early yesterday.

The hijacking occurred just hours before 30 French special forces men from the Commandement des Opérations Spéciales stormed the yacht Carre D’as before dawn yesterday to free two French tourists, who had been held by pirates after their 16 m long sailing vessel was hijacked on September 2. One pirate was killed and six others were taken prisoner during the rescue.

Stolt Valor, which was on a voyage from the US, is managed by Hong Kong’s Fleet Management.

Fleet said all the crew were reported to be safe. Company spokesman Ferdi Stolzenberg said the crew comprises 18 Indians, including the master, two Filipinos, one Russian and one seafarer from Bangladesh.

The vessel is believed to be heading to Eyl, a stronghold for pirates operating from Somalia.

The ship is owned by Panama-registered company, Ocean Carrier Transit, which owns 12 other ships, although the beneficial owner is Japan’s Central Marine. It is classed by ClassNK and insured through the West of England Mutual Shipowners Protection & Indemnity Association (Luxemburg).

The International Maritime Bureau said Stolt Valor is the tenth ship now held by pirates operating from Somalia, after two ships, including BBC Trinidad — the Beluga Shipping-operated heavylift project vessel and its 13-member crew — were freed last week. A dozen ships have been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden since July 20.

An IMB spokesman said the hijacking of the Stolt tanker showed the situation in the Gulf of Aden was “out of control” and the “number of ships hijacked was unprecedented”.

He reiterated the need to step in to rein in the pirates. “Action is required. It is not something that will simply go away,” he said, adding that it was possible pirates could become bolder if nothing was done.

Speaking after the rescue of the French couple, French President Nicolas Sarkozy appealed to the international community to mobilise for a tougher stance on Somali piracy and pledged to raise the issue at the United Nations shortly.

“This operation... is a warning to all those engaged in this criminal activity. France will not accept that crime pays,” Mr Sarkozy said.

He declared himself in support of an international ‘police of the seas’ capable of unspecified punitive action agains the pirates, but stressed that France could not achieve this alone.

All those rescued and captured in the raid by French commandoes are being taken by a French Navy vessel to Djibouti. The pirates had demanded a ransom of more than $1.4m and the release of six pirates captured in April during a raid when French commandos stormed the luxury yacht Le Ponant to release the vessel and its 30-strong crew.

A French military source contrastedthe Le Ponant rescue with yesterday’s operation.

“In contrast to Le Ponant five months ago, where it was necessary to show our muscles, we never put our means on view. Discretion was the key to success,” the source told a leading French newspaper.

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