5th Fleet Focus: French, Canadians Track Seized Vessel to Port

Latest news reports indicate that pirates were able to get to port before intervention by NATO forces operating off Somalia. The pattern for vessels seized in the past has been to conduct negotiations once they reached port. It looks like the pattern will hold.

French and Canadian naval vessels and aircraft were closely monitoring the progress of Le Ponant, a three-masted sailing cruiser, seized on Friday with 30 crew members, but no passengers, on board.

The 88-metre vessel was reported to have arrived in the small Somali port of Eyl, a known base for pirates who infest the busy waters off the Gulf of Aden. The French government has mobilised its anti-piracy, naval task force but the Prime Minister, François Fillon, promised that efforts would be made to recover the ship, and its mainly French crew, peacefully.

"We are following this hostage-taking minute by minute. We have dispatched the military means to enable us to monitor the boat from a distance," M. Fillon said. "All channels of discussion are open to try to resolve this issue without using force. We are putting the emphasis on protecting the lives of those on board."

M. Fillon's comments suggest that France is bracing itself for a long period of negotiation. Paris may follow the recent example of the Danish government which is reported to have paid £700,000 for the release of a Danish-registered tug which was seized by Somali pirates in February.

The ships in the media reported tailing the vessel include the Canadian frigate HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339) and the French frigate FS Commandant Bouan (F797). One might ask why the Canadians, but this appears to be very smart. Canada will be deploying a large task force to lead Task Force 150 in a few months, and there is no time like the present preparing for that command.

The odds of a military solution are slim to none at this point. For the safety of hostages, ransom will most likely be negotiated sometime over the next 2 months and paid, and for better or worse, the cycle continues.

Update: Check out Eagle1's update. He has every angle covered with excellent maps and pictures.