afrol News, 4 September - Two French citizens have been abducted as their sailboat was seized by pirates off Somalia coast yesterday, French officials said.

French foreign ministry has condemned an attack on the boat in the Gulf of Aden and has called for immediate release of two French nationals. A ministry statement issued on Wednesday said discretion was needed in such cases, though detailed reports of abductions were not given.

"The French minister of European and foreign affairs confirms a sailboat with two French citizens on board was seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden," a statement from the ministry said.

Piracy off Somalia's coast is among the highest in the world as country lacks structure to effectively take on groups who often target shipping vessels, fishing boats, yachts and cargo ships. Once pirates hijack vessels they often demand a hefty ransom for their hostages' release.

Somali pirates seized close to 10 ships hijacked only in August, making it the most dangerous shipping routes in the world.

After wave of attacks, United States Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain announced that it would begin patrolling a newly established shipping corridor in the Gulf of Aden in an attempt to protect international shipping.

Canada announced in August that it was dispatching a warship to the area to protect UN aid ships after more than two dozen reported pirate attacks in the region this year. The ship will remain in the region until the end of September, Canadian defense minister said at the time.

On Tuesday Somali pirates announced US $8.2 million ransom demand for release of two Malaysian tankers and Japanese ship seized in the Gulf of Aden, off Somali coast last month, a maritime official said.

Without a functioning central government for the past 17 years Somalia has been able to do little to combat the pirates but in June the UN Security Council voted to allow countries to place war ships in the waters to combat the pirates.

International Maritime Bureau, which monitors shipping crime, said in April that 49 pirate attacks on ships were reported in the first three months of 2008, compared with 41 for the same period last year. It recorded 263 pirates' attacks last year, up from 239 a year before and the first increase in three.

Meanwhile, in capital, Mogadishu, heavy fighting erupted yesterday morning with insurgents exchanging fire with government troops, supported by Ethiopian forces, around the presidential palace.

Witnesses said residents were trying to take shelter in their homes while heavy artillery shells exploded around them. Four civilians are reported to have died in the fighting and eight others were injured.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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