Somali pirates almost led to a breakdown in relations between the US and Ukraine as an arms shipment busted a weapons embargo, a WikiLeaks cable alleges.
The hijacking of the 9,019-dwt Faina two years ago eventually led the US to question the honesty of its “strategic partner” in Eastern Europe and to threaten sanctions of its own.
The Belize-flagged ro-ro, which was hijacked on 25 September 2008 off Somalia with 33 armoured tanks and associated weaponry onboard, found itself at the centre of much high-profile attention as allegations abounded that its sensitive cargo was destined, not for Kenya, but for Southern Sudan.
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