Somalia/Kenya/Ukraine

Kenya, Ukraine deny hijacked ship is carrying arms for Sudan

Article published on the 2008-09-29 Latest update 2008-10-01 14:00 TU

Pirates board the Ukranian ship Faina.
(Photo: Reuters)

The Ukranian ship Faina being held hostage by Somalian pirates may be carrying weapons destined for Sudan after stopping in Kenya. Kenyan and Ukranian officials have denied the accusation, made on RFI by an east African seafarers' representative.

The Ukranian Defence Ministry confirms that the ship is carrying 33 tanks and other military supplies, but says that their final destination is Kenya.

The Faina is currently off the Somalian coast, surrounded by international warships monitoring the situation. The pirates aboard are demanding a 20-million-dollar (13.9-million-euro) ransom for the ship, its cargo and crew. They are in negotiations with the Ukranian shipping company.

The spokesperson for the US Fifth Fleet acknowledged that newsmedia had claimed that the arms may be an embargo-breaking shipment destined for southern Sudan.

“The safety of the crew and the cargo of the ship is of paramount concern to us, so that’s the reason why we’ve dispatched ships in the area to maintain this watch over the ship,” Lieutenant Nathan Christensen told RFI.

First to raise suspicions that the arms might go to Sudan, was Andrew Mwangura, co-ordinator of the east Africa Seafarers Assistance programme, speaking to RFI on Sunday.

There are many potential buyers for military equipment in Sudan including the national army, and rebel groups in Darfur where a civil war has been raging for years.

Why Kenya would be facilitating arms shipments to its troubled neighbour is a question that remains unanswered.

“The Kenyan government has been on the forefront of mediating for peace in Sudan,” says Augusta Muchai, an arms specialist with International Security Studies in Kenya.

“A peaceful Sudan means a peaceful Kenya,” Muchai told RFI.

“It’s highly unlikely for the government of Kenya to engage in anything of that nature,” she says.