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| Somali pirate 'Big Mouth' quits | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man named by the UN as a pirate kingpin has said he is renouncing crime, a community leader in Somalia has confirmed to the BBC. | |
| Mohamed Abdi Hassan, nicknamed "Afweyneh" meaning Big Mouth in Somali, told reporters after eight years in the business, he had agreed to stop. | Mohamed Abdi Hassan, nicknamed "Afweyneh" meaning Big Mouth in Somali, told reporters after eight years in the business, he had agreed to stop. |
| He made the announcement in Adado, a town in central Somali where pirate hostages have often been held. | He made the announcement in Adado, a town in central Somali where pirate hostages have often been held. |
| Successful pirate attacks off the Somali coast fell sharply last year. | Successful pirate attacks off the Somali coast fell sharply last year. |
| Analysts say this is because of the increased use of private security guards on ships and better co-ordination between naval patrols in the area. | Analysts say this is because of the increased use of private security guards on ships and better co-ordination between naval patrols in the area. |
| Adado's administration chief said other top pirates had also agreed to disarm. | Adado's administration chief said other top pirates had also agreed to disarm. |
| "We persuaded them to disarm and hand over whatever they have - boats and weapons," Mohamed Adan, the leader of the Adado administration, told the BBC Somali service. | "We persuaded them to disarm and hand over whatever they have - boats and weapons," Mohamed Adan, the leader of the Adado administration, told the BBC Somali service. |
| "They realised that they cannot function as before with impunity and profits are no longer good," he said. | "They realised that they cannot function as before with impunity and profits are no longer good," he said. |
| In a UN monitoring group report last year it was alleged that Afweyneh was "one of the most notorious and influential leaders of the Hobyo-Harardhere Piracy Network". | In a UN monitoring group report last year it was alleged that Afweyneh was "one of the most notorious and influential leaders of the Hobyo-Harardhere Piracy Network". |
| It was also revealed that a former president had given him diplomatic status and a diplomatic passport as an inducement to give up his pirate network. | It was also revealed that a former president had given him diplomatic status and a diplomatic passport as an inducement to give up his pirate network. |
| Multi-million dollar ransoms | Multi-million dollar ransoms |
| "After being in piracy for eight years, I have decided to renounce and quit, and from today on I will not be involved in this gang activity," AFP news agency quotes Afweyneh as saying at a news conference in Adado on Wednesday. | "After being in piracy for eight years, I have decided to renounce and quit, and from today on I will not be involved in this gang activity," AFP news agency quotes Afweyneh as saying at a news conference in Adado on Wednesday. |
| "I have also been encouraging many of my colleagues to renounce piracy too, and they have done it," he said. | "I have also been encouraging many of my colleagues to renounce piracy too, and they have done it," he said. |
| According to AFP, his pirates were reportedly involved in the 2009 capture of Ukrainian ship MV Faina, which was carrying Russian-made tanks and weapons. It was freed after a ransom of $3.2m (£2m) was paid following months of painstaking negotiations. | According to AFP, his pirates were reportedly involved in the 2009 capture of Ukrainian ship MV Faina, which was carrying Russian-made tanks and weapons. It was freed after a ransom of $3.2m (£2m) was paid following months of painstaking negotiations. |
| The 2008 capture of the Saudi-owned Sirius Star supertanker is also believed to be attributable to his men, the agency says. | The 2008 capture of the Saudi-owned Sirius Star supertanker is also believed to be attributable to his men, the agency says. |
| The tanker, loaded with two million barrels of oil, was released after two months in return for a ransom believed to have been $3m, which was parachuted on to the deck of the ship by helicopter. | The tanker, loaded with two million barrels of oil, was released after two months in return for a ransom believed to have been $3m, which was parachuted on to the deck of the ship by helicopter. |
| The British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler were also held in Adado for more than a year after they were seized from their yacht off the Seychelles in 2009. | The British couple Paul and Rachel Chandler were also held in Adado for more than a year after they were seized from their yacht off the Seychelles in 2009. |
| Mr Adan said Somali elders in Hobyo and Harardhere - notorious pirate strongholds along the coast - had also helped with the negotiations to persuade the pirates to stop their activities. | Mr Adan said Somali elders in Hobyo and Harardhere - notorious pirate strongholds along the coast - had also helped with the negotiations to persuade the pirates to stop their activities. |