Somalia: Russia advises Somali government on piracy

(SomaliNet)Russia, which sent a warship to Somalia\'s coast to combat pirates, asked Somalia on Thursday for carte blanche to use force in its territorial waters.

Moscow sent the frigate Neustrashimy last month to the Gulf of Aden. The Russian navy said at the time its ships would regularly patrol zones where maritime piracy was a danger. Some observers say Russia\'s navy is being used by the Kremlin to project its renewed power.

\"To ensure freedom of actions to fight piracy directly in Somalia\'s territorial waters, the foreign ministry of Russia has requested the agreement of the Interim Federal Government of the Somali Republic to grant the Russian Federation \'co-operating state\' status,\" the ministry said in a statement.

\"In co-operation with other nations, the Russian side intends to undertake all measures sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council to improve the maritime situation in this region.\"

The International Maritime Bureau says the Gulf of Aden and the east coast of Somalia are a piracy hot spot, accounting for a third of all attacks on ships in the first nine months of 2008.

In the highest profile case, ransom talks are continuing after pirates seized a Ukrainian ship, the MV Faina, which was loaded with 33 T-72 tanks and other weaponry.

Russia\'s foreign ministry said it was \"deeply concerned\" over the fate of the ship\'s crew, which included three Russian nationals. One of the Russians, the ship\'s captain, has died from cardiovascular disease in captivity.

Earlier this month Nato dispatched warships to the region to help fight piracy and escort UN humanitarian aid ships off the coast of Somalia.

Sugule Ali, pirate spokesperson warned on Thursday that if the ship was attacked by Nato forces its 20-man crew would be among those killed.

He mocked comments by Tomex Team, the firm operating the ship, which said it had accumulated only US$1-million (R11-million) towards the US$20-million (R221-million) ransom the pirates had initially demanded.

Ali did not say whether the ransom request had been lowered. But he repeated his promise to fight back if attacked, in spite of the expected arrival of a flotilla of Nato warships in the next few days. - Reuters-Sapa-AP