News

While the controversy drags on regarding who is ultimately responsible for the detention of the two Somali pirates currently in Spain, it would seem that the hijackers of the Basque tuna fisher-boat, the Alakrana, are beginning to approve of negotiations being rolled out by Spanish and Somali authorities.

According to statement given by a spokesman for the hijackers to Basque newspaper El Correo, “if all goes to plan” the fishing boat could be freed in “two or three days”, even without the assurance that the two jailed pirated be returned to Somalia.

The spokesman revealed that the pirates were on the point of closing a deal with the Spanish Ambassador based in Nairobi, Nicolás Martín Cinto, which could be finalized on Friday thanks to the mediating influence of the intervention of an influential Somali authority whom the pirates trust.

The pact includes a guarantee that the jailed pirates would be transferred to Africa at a later date.

Private security

Meanwhile, on Friday the first agents in charge of fishing boat security will set sail toward the Seychelle, scheduled to arrive on Saturday. Fifty-two agent in total will work aboard the tuna fishing vessels; four for each crew member.

Controversy in Spain

The Spanish Government had previously said that the release of the two pirates would not be open to negotiation, even when pirates on board had threatened to kill 3 crew members taken ashore if there was no progress in freeing those who had been detained.

The crew of the Alakrana have been held captive aboard the ship now for forty-three days, after being hijacked on 2nd October. Ministers working for its release have come in for criticism from the fishermen and their families for not negotiating the release of the jailed pair sooner.

Disagreement also continues about who takes what share of responsibility for the arrest and extradition of the two Somali pirates currently in prison in Spain.