Suzanne Williams
Maritime hostage negotiator Suzanne Williams, a key figure in securing the safe rescue of many victims of piracy, has been chosen as Personality of the Year 2010 by the Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association.
The announcement was made at the WISTA International Conference 2010 in Athens. It comes at a time when piracy remains a huge threat to international shipping, despite the presence of European Union, US, Chinese and other naval forces attempting to guard trading vessels off the east coast of Africa, off Nigeria and in the Malacca Strait.
At present, 17 vessels and 354 seafarers are reportedly being held hostage by Somali-linked raiders, and it is feared that as the monsoon season subsides the tally will grow again.
Ms Williams runs her own company in London, Sue Williams International, representing Special Contingency Risks, and for years has been instrumental in resolving many dangerous kidnap and terrorist cases. While attending the WISTA Conference this week, she has been alert to developments in yet another confidential kidnap case, this time involving a land-based official of a non-governmental association.
She has been to the fore in many highly sensitive attempts to free merchant ships and crew members from the clutches of bandits operating off east Africa and elsewhere, and after giving a gripping presentation on her work to the WISTA International Conference in London in 2009, she was chosen as WISTA-UK Personality of the Year 2010.
A crisis management advisor and accredited senior investigator, Ms Williams has been a hostage negotiator since 1991, having been called on to assist in many life-or-death cases, initially during her 32 years as a London Metropolitan police officer. When she retired from the force in 2008, she was head of the Hostage Crisis Unit at New Scotland Yard. Among her duties, she has been part of the Royalty Protection Group working from Buckingham Palace.
Her involvement in issues related to maritime violence began in 1996 when she was requested on behalf of a British coroner to investigate a suspicious death at sea caused by pirates. Since then she has contributed to working groups on the legislation and prevention of piracy, and assisted in the preparation and performance of counter terrorist exercises involving kidnap and hostage negotiation, many of which were of a maritime nature.
In 2004 she was awarded the Queen’s Police Medal in recognition of her commitment to her specialist fields. Her charity work includes acting as a Trustee for Hostage UK, an organisation that supports families and victims of international hostage taking.
Responding to her Personality nomination, Ms Williams said: “I cannot change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to reach my goal, which is bringing value to the sacrifices made by seafarers in the course of their difficult and essential work.”
Leaders of WISTA praised the round-the-clock dedication of Ms Williams to her profession, and her embodiment of the values of WISTA, including a deep knowledge of the maritime industry, open-mindedness, a belief in diversity, showing significant achievement, and contributing to improving the image of the industry.
WISTA-UK president Maria Dixon told the Conference that Ms Williams was making a remarkable contribution to strengthening the protection of crew members from piracy at a time when the International Maritime Organization had designated 2010 as Year of the Seafarer. Further, the IMO had taken up the theme for 2011 of Piracy: Orchestrating the Response.
Ms Williams is a member of WISTA-UK.
MSC Takes Delivery Of Latest Super Container Ship
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) has taken delivery of its latest super container ship, the 13,798-TEU MSC EMANUELA, which was delivered from the South Korean Samsung shipyard.
MSC Emanuela is the 14th in an order book of 30 ships ordered in the 14,000-TEU range placed with Samsung Shipbuilding and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co (DSME). She follows another super ship, the MSC PALOMA which was also delivered from the Samsung yard recently, and will be followed shortly by MSC EVA from the same yard.
The giant ships coming from both shipyards are being built to a similar design, in which the wheelhouse and accommodation is located forward of the centre of the ship, unlike most conventional large container ships which have their accommodation and bridges aft and directly over the engine rooms. The new design, which has been used with several new ships built for German owners in addition, provides the vessels with two towers, one up front and the other over the engine room near the stern which carries the smokestack.
The builders and ship owners claim this allows increased space for loading containers, making them the world’s largest container ships. The design is for ships with a length of 366m, a beam of 51m, a draught of 15m when fully loaded and a deadweight of 165,000 tonnes. The gross tonnage is around 135,000 tons. The vessels are powered by MAN SE B&W 12K98MC-C diesel engines with an output of 98,280hp, giving them a design speed of 25,2 knots maximum, or 23.5 knots while cruising.
Kenya Introduces New Rules for Transit Fuel to Ease Port Congestion
The Ministry of Energy has introduced a new centralised tender system for importation of refined fuel destined for Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of Congo.
Energy permanent secretary Patrick Nyoike said only companies with import and trading licences in Uganda and the other countries will be allowed to participate in the open tender system (OTS) of transit fuel.
"You are therefore invited to submit bids on Tuesday September 28, 2010 by 2.30 p.m. being time for their opening," he said in a letter sent to chief executive officers of oil marketing firms.
It was copied to Uganda’s Energy PS Kalisa Kabagambe, customs commissioner Wambui Namu, Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) managing director Selest Kilinda and Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) managing director Gichiri Ndua.
Under OTS a company that submits the lowest bid imports either crude oil or refined petrol, diesel and kerosene on behalf of other marketers.
Mr Nyoike said unprogrammed private imports had been identified as primary causes of congestion at the port of Mombasa and attendant demurrage charges (penalties paid to tanker owners). Sh2.8 million ($35,000) is the demurrage paid daily to a tanker owner when a ship ferrying fuel fails to discharge the cargo in Mombasa in good time due lack of storage space.
Mr Nyoike said marketers had on September 20, 2010 been informed by the ministry that no private imports for transit markets shall be allowed through Kipevu Oil Storage Facility in Mombasa from individual marketers.
He said such cargo shall be aggregated for all the transit marketers and processed through the Ullage (storage space) Allocation Committee.
The PS reminded marketers through a letter on Monday that they have to participate in transit tender as there will be no more unscheduled imports.
He said the Free on Board (FOB) for October 2010 imports shall be based on the five days bill of lading.
Eritrean Customs Battles Smugglers, Importation of Contraband
The Eritrean Customs Duty Department is working diligently towards controlling contraband activities which are inflicting damage to the national economy and societal values, so says, Mr. Abraham Gebretinsae, head of law enforcement unit in the Department.
Outlining the numerous and sophisticated tactics and ploys employed by those individuals engaged in such illegal practices, he explained that various training courses are being offered to staff members with a view to upgrading their skill and put an end to such reckless activities.
Mr. Abraham further explained that contraband is an illegal practice designed to amass private profits from the revenue that is supposed to be channeled to development programs. In this respect, he called on to those engaged in the illegal practice to abide by the law, and thereby ensure the health of the public and cattle, besides preserving the noble values of the society.
Also in reply he gave regarding public complaints arguing that the punishment applied is quite ineffective, Mr. Abraham pointed out that various punitive steps are being taken ranging from monetary penalty to confiscation so as to put under control illegal goods and prohibited commodities designed to infiltrate into the country through airport and boundary checkpoints. He further called on the general public to enhance contribution in efforts to combat contraband activities.
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