Somali Pirates Hijack Ship with 20 Passengers Aboard

The European Union’s anti-piracy naval force says Somali pirates have hijacked a Comoros-flagged ship on its way to Tanzania.

The EU force said the Aly Zoulfecar was seized Wednesday en route to the Tanzanian port city of Dar es Salaam with 29 people on board.

The EU force said late Wednesday that the ship has 20 passengers – 12 from Tanzania and eight from Comoros.

Somali pirates usually seize ships in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest waterways.

However, patrols by an international flotilla has decreased successful hijackings in the gulf and forced the pirates farther south.

Somalia has not had an effective government for 19 years, one of the reasons piracy has been able to flourish.