Perhaps it’s because Somalia has had no real government for the last 15-years that its Indian Ocean coast has become one of the most dangerous shipping areas in the world. More than 25 ships have been hijacked in these waters in 2005, including a UN-chartered aid vessel bound for Somalia.

Although shipping is normally considered safer when far away from land, on Saturday 5 November 2005 the Seabourne Spirit, a luxury cruise ship, was attacked in the early hours of the morning while travelling 100 miles (160km) from the East African coast. The pirates fired at least one rocket-propelled grenade that hit the cruise ship, although there were no fatalities.