Hijacked ship still being held

A Kenyan-registered ship and its crew hijacked off the northeastern coast of Somalia in late July is still being held to ransom by its captors, a local journalist told IRIN on Thursday. The MV Bihari and its crew of 30 are being held in the coastal town of Eyl, 150 km southeast of Garowe, the capital of the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland, northeastern Somalia. A prominent Puntland businessman representing the ship's owners is currently in Garowe negotiating with representatives of the hijackers, Adan Abdirahman Dolar, editor of the Garowe-based Nugal Times said. Khalif Ise Mudan, representing the ship's owners, who has been in Garowe for the past two weeks, is reportedly offering the hijackers US $400,000 for the ship, crew and the ship's cargo of lobsters, fish and shark fins, Dolar said. According to Dolar, the captors are refusing to accept less than $600,000. Dolar said the crew was reported to be in good health, but that there was concern over the health of the captain, who was said to be "an old man on medication, who may run out of his medication".