Two French citizens and their sailing boat have been seized by pirates off the Somali coast, French officials say.
The http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=4205’s Ahmed Ali in Puntland says a delegation of officials from the semi-autonomous northern region has gone to Eyl port to investigate.
In April, French commandos made six arrests in a helicopter raid against pirates after they freed a French http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=4143’s crew.
The seas off http://www.wvwnews.net/story.php?id=4638 in the world.
The country has been without a functioning central government for 17 years and has suffered from continual civil strife.
In the capital, Mogadishu, heavy fighting erupted on Wednesday morning with insurgents trading fire with government troops, supported by Ethiopian forces, around the presidential palace.The BBC’s Mohammed Olad Hassan in the city 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.
Islamist militia have threatened to increase their attacks during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began this week.
About 2,200 of a planned 8,000-strong African Union peacekeeping force have been sent to Mogadishu since Ethiopia helped oust Islamists in 2006.
“France firmly condemns this act of piracy and calls for the immediate release of the people held on board this yacht. Our prime concern is the safety of our compatriots,” a French foreign ministry statement said.
It said “discretion” was needed in such cases.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7595727.stm