·UNSC decided to strengthen the arms embargo on Somalia.

·This year alone, 120 attacks had been reported, with 35 ships seized, Mitropolous said.

·The greatest challenges to the peace and stability in Somalia was a lack of security.

    UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council decided on Thursday to strengthen the arms embargo on the violence-plagued nation of Somalia by specifying sanctions against violators and expanding the mandate of the committee that oversees the ban.

    Unanimously adopting resolution 1844, the council decided that travel restrictions and an asset freeze would be applied to individuals and entities that engaged in activities that threatened the peace and the political processes and obstructed humanitarian assistance, in addition to those that breached the weapons ban, which was put in place by resolution 733 of 1992 and amended by subsequent resolutions.

    The council charged the committee set up by resolution 733 with the task of examining allegations of violations of the arms embargo, designating individuals and entities to be on a list of those subjected to sanctions and regularly reviewing that list for accuracy.

    In a related provision, member states were encouraged to submit to the committee the names of individuals or entities to be included on the list, along with a detailed statement of the case against them.

    The council urged such states to review petitions for de-listing and encouraged the committee to ensure that fair and clear procedures existed for listing, de-listing and granting exemptions.

    UN International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Efthimios Mitropolous told the council that the escalating incidents of piracy in the Somalia waters and the Gulf of Aden was of great concern to his organization, adding that he was particularly concerned, not only by the frequency of attacks, but also by their ferocity.

    A total of 440 acts of piracy and armed robbery had been recorded since statistics had been compiled, he said.

    This year alone, 120 attacks had been reported, with 35 ships seized and more than 600 seafarers kidnapped, resulting the deaths of two seafarers, Mitropolous said.

    Somalia's UN Ambassador Elmi Ahmed Duale said the greatest challenges to the peace and stability in Somalia was not a lack of political will but a lack of security.

    The Transitional Federal Government did not have the capacity to defend and control the entire country and had inadequate or little financial support from the international community to enhance security, Duale said. 




U.S. imposes sanctions against Somalian terrorist leaders 

 WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The United States imposed on Thursday financial sanctions against three alleged leaders of an extremist Islamic militia in Somalia.

    The three targeted by the U.S. Treasury Department are Mukhtar Robow, spokesman for al-Shabaab and a military commander with the group; Ahmed Abdi Aw-Mohamed, alleged founder and leader of al-Shabaab; and Issa Osman Issa who served as a commander in al-Shabaab. Full story


Red Sea Arab countries call for more cooperation to combat piracy

  CAIRO, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- Arab countries overlooking the Red Sea promised here on Thursday to coordinate efforts in the fight against piracy near the Red Sea region.

    During an extraordinary meeting co-chaired by Egypt and Yemen, representatives from Jordan, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Djibouti and the Arab League (AL) discussed means of fighting against the growing threat of piracy, the Egyptian MENA news agency reported. Full story

Saudi-owned crude oil supertanker "Sirius Star" is seen in this photograph taken in Rotterdam on October 17, 2008. Pirates who hijacked the Sirius Star off the east coast of Africa are taking the vessel towards a Somali port, the U.S. Navy said on Nov.  17, 2008. Picture taken October 17, 2008. The hijacked Saudi-owned supertanker has anchored off the coast of northeastern Somalia.  (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

Chinese FM: China to exert utmost effort to rescue its fishing ship hijacked by Somali pirates

    BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry was further checking the information about the hijack of a Chinese fishing ship seized by Somali pirates, and would exert utmost effort to rescue the ship and the crew aboard, according to the consular news released Friday evening by Chinese Foreign Ministry on its web site.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry was going to spare no effort to rescue the seized ship and the crew aboard, in coordination with relevant organizations and Chinese overseas representative offices, according to the news. Full story

Somali pirates wreak havoc along key shipping route

    BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Attacks by pirates off the coast of Somalia have fiercely intensified, with five vessels reportedly hijacked in the past week, including Saudi-owned supertanker Sirius Star, the largest vessel ever seized at sea.

    On Wednesday, a Hong Kong-flagged cargo ship was confirmed to have been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden near the coast of Yemen. Full story

Hijacked supertanker moors off Somalia as eight pirates escape prison 

    MOGADISHU, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- The hijacked Saudi-owned supertanker has anchored off the coast of northeastern Somalia while eight pirates escaped from prison in the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland, officials said Tuesday.

    The Sirius Star, capable of carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, along with its international crew of 25, was hijacked over the weekend by Somali pirates 450 miles off the coast of the Kenyan port town of Mombasa and has since been heading towards the Somali port town of Harard here in Puntland. Full story

Somali pirates seize Hong Kong ship

    NAIROBI, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Somalia pirates have hijacked a Hong Kong cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden near the coast of Yemen, a regional maritime official confirmed on Wednesday.

    The vessel Delight, loaded with 26,000 tons of wheat, was bound for Iran's Bandar Abbas Port when it was hijacked. Full story