DUBAI // An activist who pledged last year to raise money and negotiate the release of a ship long held by Somali pirates said today that he never spoke with the kidnappers nor had the authority to do so.
The MV Iceberg, owned by the Dubai-based Azal Shipping and hijacked in March 2010, is the longest ship currently held by pirates. One of its 24-man crew died on board after seven months.
The former human rights minister of Pakistan and now British-based lawyer Ansar Burney said last July he would help raise private funds to free the remaining seafarers. Three months later, he told The National a ransom had been sent and the ship would reach an Omani or Dubai port within days.
But the vessel remains in captivity. And Mr Burney denied yesterday announcing a payment. "No, no, no, never," he said, speaking by phone from Pakistan.
"I must have some power from the shipping company or from all the family members" to deal with the pirates, he said. "If something goes wrong, then I will be responsible."
Mr Burney stressed that the Azal Shipping should take the lead in finding a solution, and that alternatives to ransom should be sought. Such payments would simply empower pirates buy better weapons and hijack more vessels, he said.
He called on European and American navies to forcefully free all captured ships. "It is a little bit dangerous, but we will have to. What other way, than to pay ransom?" he said. As another alternative, he said he visited organisations in Somalia and Kenya over 10 days this month to urge them to level with the Iceberg captors. "They said, OK, they will try to contact the pirates," he said.
The overwhelming majority of hijacked ships have required a ransom payment to be released. Navies have avoided confronting any vessels that have hostages on board to avoid endangering lives.
Azal Shipping has ignored written requests to cooperate, Mr Burney said. The company has repeatedly declined to comment on the case, saying only that negotiations are ongoing.
The six Indian families of the Iceberg crew urged Mr Burney to help them last summer shortly after he arranged a US$2.1mn (Dh7.7mn) ransom to free another vessel, the MV Suez.
Those relatives continued to call him every day, he said. "They are contacting me every day. Every day they are crying."
[ chuang@thenational.ae ]
