Somali pirates have agreed to release a Yemeni cargo ship, the MV Amani, without ransom, after negotiations between the hijackers, local elders and provincial officials, a minister said today.
"No ransom was paid, but after negotiations, the pirates will get off the ship soon. The Yemeni ship will be released in the coming hours," Ali Abdi Aware, state minister of the northern province of Puntland, said.
The ship was seized on November 25th in the Gulf of Aden. No other details about the vessel, its crew and cargo were available.
Mr Aware said the Yemeni ambassador to Somalia was also in Puntland to participate in the negotiations to release the ship.
A surge in piracy in the Gulf of Aden has sent foreign warships rushing to the area, but the attacks continue despite the huge presence of international forces.
In a separate development, a Kenyan maritime official said yesterday that gunmen who captured a Ukrainian ship carrying 33 tanks and other military hardware had reached a deal with its owners to release the vessel.
The pirates and owners of the MV Fainawere discussing arrangements for delivering the money, said Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers' Assistance Programme. The pirates had previously demanded a $20 million ransom.
Somali pirates have taken advantage of chaos on the Somali mainland to launch attacks offshore in a major global sea artery used by about 20,000 vessels a year. The gangs normally seek and often received large ransoms, and it is rare for pirates to release vessels without some monetary incentive.