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By Hussein Ali Nur
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
HARGEISA (Reuters) - Security forces in a breakaway northern Somali republic are pursuing pirates who kidnapped four German nationals from nearby Yemen and fled into the enclave, its vice-president said.
"The four Germans, two men, a woman and a child are being held in the mountains near Qow between Somaliland and the regional administration of Puntland," Ahmed Yusuf Yasin told reporters late on Monday. He did not give any other details.
The German foreign ministry said it was investigating the reports.
Piracy is a lucrative business in Somalia, and hostages are normally treated well in anticipation of a large ransom.
Authorities said Somaliland coastguards gave chase in speedboats from their main base in the port town of Berbera on Tuesday morning when the pirates entered Somaliland territorial waters as they headed to Puntland.
"The coastguards found the pirates' boat abandoned near Las-qoray," an official said.
The self-declared republic of Somaliland broke away from Somalia when the Horn of African country plunged into chaos in 1991, and is relatively peaceful and stable.
An official from Horn Relief, a non governmental organisation working in the region, said angry residents in the region the pirates fled to had held demonstrations to protest against the kidnapping.
"The elders have gone up the mountain and civil society has mobilised the community to go up the mountain in protest," said the aid worker, who did not want to be named.
Somaliland, which has not been recognised by the international community despite a strong campaign, is ill-equipped to deal with piracy, illegal fishing and smuggling along its long coastline.
Gunmen are still holding hostage four foreign aid workers -- two Italians, a Kenyan and a Briton -- and three Somalis abducted in April and May. (Writing by Wangui Kanina; editing by Tim Pearce) (For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: http://africa.reuters.com/) (nairobi.newsroom@reuters.com; +254 20 222 4717)
Source: Reuters, June 24, 2008