By Guled Mohamed
Nairobi - Somali gunmen who hijacked a vessel chartered by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) denied on Thursday they were demanding a ransom but said they had yet to decide what to do with the ship and hostages.
"We are not pirates and we are not after any financial gain as people are claiming," Mohamed Abdi Hassan, the leader of the group, told Reuters by telephone from Harardheere, 113km from where his men were holding the ship under anchor.
Hassan, whose identity was confirmed by a minister in Somalia's new government, said his militia was simply guarding the seas against illegal fishing and dumping of toxic waste.
"We normally request all ships that pass in our waters to identify themselves. The ship in question had no name or anything and when we asked them to substantiate their claim of carrying relief food they had no papers or any proof whatsoever. That's when we became suspicious and impounded the ship."
The ship was captured a week ago en route to the northern port of Bossaso. Its owner said the gunmen were demanding $500 000 to free the 10-man crew - a Sri Lankan captain, a Tanzanian engineer and eight Kenyans.
WFP on Monday suspended aid shipments to Somalia until the MV Semlov vessel was released.
The cargo of 850 tons of rice, donated by Japan and Germany, was destined for thousands of Somalis hit by the December 26 tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean.
Hassan said the hostages were in good condition. "They are alive and well and we will soon reach a decision," he said.
"Most of the hostages are from our neighbour Kenya. We will not and have not harmed them, we have treated them with dignity and would continue to do so."
The militia leader accused WFP and other humanitarian organisations of ignoring their remote region of north-east Somalia. "The last time we received assistance was in 1991 from ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross). Since then, nothing has come our way," said Hassan.
The WFP, however, said it delivered 5 000 50kg bags of cereal foods to the Harardheere area between April and May.
"Their claim is unfounded and untrue... We have the community backing. We are engaged in dialogue but we will not negotiate with them (the gunmen)," WFP spokeswoman Rene Mcguffin told Reuters in Nairobi. She said the ship had documents to show it was carrying WFP food relief.
Anarchic Somalia has been without proper rule since the 1991 fall of dictator Siad Barre at the hands of warlords.
A 14th attempt to re-establish government since 1991 is currently underway. But an interim administration that has just relocated to Somalia from Kenya is riven by factional rivalry, squabbling over where to locate, and threats of violence.
On average, WFP provides 3 000 tons of aid a month to 275 000 people in the Horn of Africa country. It said it only has two weeks' worth of food inside Somalia.
Hassan denied reports that a delegation from Somalia's new transitional government had travelled to the region from Mogadishu to negotiate with local elders and militias.
The waters around the Horn of Africa country are among the world's most dangerous, with frequent hijackings.