By Mohamed Olad Hassan
A dispute erupted between authorities in Somalia and the Seychelles after the island nation released 23 suspected Somali pirates in what appeared to be a trade for hostages from the Seychelles.
Authorities in the Seychelles on Monday denied that they had agreed to swap the captured pirates for the three freed hostages.
Somali officials nonetheless stopped the former hostages from returning to the Seychelles on Monday, saying Somalia had been deceived by Seychelles authorities.
The 23 prisoners had been captured by international warships and held on piracy charges in the Seychelles, which sits southeast of Somalia's coastline.
The Seychelles government said it was releasing the 23 suspects because it lacked evidence needed to prosecute them.
Ahmed Elmi Karash, the aviation minister in Somalia's semi-autonomous northern region of Puntland, said the 23 suspects disembarked from two planes late Sunday and the three former hostages boarded. The planes were detained by Somali officials while refuelling. The planes' seven crew members also were held.
The governor of Somalia's Mudug region, Ahmed Ali Salad, said the planes' crews misinformed Somali authorities, claiming they were carrying humanitarian supplies.
The Seychelles authorities said the simultaneous repatriation of their three citizens - held hostage since their yacht Serenity was seized in February - was simply a cost-effective way to use the planes and did not imply a swap. The hostages' yacht sank in poor weather after their capture.
"The release of the Seychellois hostages is not related to the repatriation of the 23 Somali men this weekend," said Minister Joel Morgan, who leads Seychelles government efforts on piracy. "An exchange of Seychellois and Somalis did not take place."
He added that no ransom was paid.
It is almost unheard-of for pirates to release sailors without a cash payment.
Morgan said the two governments were in contact and the situation would soon be resolved.
Pirates captured more than 100 ships last year and attacks off Somalia are expected to increase dramatically in coming months as the monsoon season ends.
Warships from Japan, America, Germany, Portugal and other nations are patrolling the water off Somalia to combat piracy. When the warships capture suspected pirates, the prisoners are often delivered to nearby Kenya or the Seychelles for trial. - Sapa-AP