This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/6395033.stm

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Pirates seize UN ship off Somalia Pirates seize UN ship off Somalia
(about 17 hours later)
Pirates are reported to have hijacked a UN-chartered cargo ship delivering food aid to north-eastern Somalia. Pirates have hijacked a UN-chartered cargo ship delivering food aid to north-eastern Somalia - the first such incident for eight months.
The ship, the MV Rozen, had just delivered a cargo to Somalia's Puntland region when the pirates struck, a World Food Programme official said. The ship, the MV Rozen, had just delivered a cargo to Somalia's Puntland region when the pirates struck.
There have been no reports of demands from the pirates and it is not known if any of the 12 crew have been injured.There have been no reports of demands from the pirates and it is not known if any of the 12 crew have been injured.
Piracy has become rampant off the coast of Somalia, which has had no stable central government for years. Piracy has been rampant off the coast of Somalia, which has had no stable central government for years.
A spate of hijackings of ships over the past two years came to a halt when the Union of Islamic Courts took control of much of central and southern Somalia in June last year.
But since the overthrow of the Islamic Courts at the turn of the year Somalia has descended back into violence and chaos despite attempts by the interim Somali Government to impose order.
A World Food Programme spokeswoman, Stephanie Savariaud, said there were deep concerns for the safety of the crew.A World Food Programme spokeswoman, Stephanie Savariaud, said there were deep concerns for the safety of the crew.
"We know it has been hijacked by pirates but we do not know how many pirates there are," she said."We know it has been hijacked by pirates but we do not know how many pirates there are," she said.
Ms Savariaud said the Rozen had delivered 1,800 tonnes of food aid to the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia and was returning to its home port of Mombasa in Kenya.Ms Savariaud said the Rozen had delivered 1,800 tonnes of food aid to the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia and was returning to its home port of Mombasa in Kenya.