Somali pirates seize Saudi supertanker

The Sirius Star is the biggest ever ship to be hijacked by pirates.

The ship's cargo is estimated to be worth more than $100m

The Saudi supertanker loaded with 2 million barrels of oil was seized more than 800kms southeast of the Kenyan port of Mombasa, in waters so far offshore that they were previously thought to be safe from piracy.

Roger Middleton is consultant researcher for the Africa Programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs.

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Piracy along the East African coast had been growing recently

One of the main centres of piracy in the region is the Somali port of Eyl.

Mary Harper is the BBC's Africa analyst:

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First broadcast 18 November 2008

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