A ship carrying two Irish aid activists that broke its moorings in Libya yesterday and set sail following a dispute on board has arrived at the Greek port of Piraeus.
Ten activists – two Irish people, seven Britons and an Algerian – were on board when the Strofades IV abruptly left the Libyan port of Derna following an apparent disagreement.
The Irish nationals have been named as Kenneth O'Keefe and David T Callander.
Six Irish nationals were left behind when the Greek-owned vessel left the port in the early hours of yesterday morning. The Irish nationals, who are part of a larger group of 55 aid workers, had passed through Libyan immigration and were due to board the vessel when it broke its moorings.
The Strofades IV sailed through the night and is now in the custody of Greek authorities.
The Department of Foreign Affairs remains in contact with Libyan and Greek authorities and an official from the Irish embassy in Athens is at Piraeus. A spokesman for the department said the vessel has docked at a cargo terminal near the main port and that Greek officials are processing those on board.
The activists belong to the Road to Hope charity which had planned to send aid to Gaza in defiance of the Israeli boycott on the territory.
A spokeswoman for the charity said the activists stranded in Libya are hoping to charter another vessel to continue their journey.
Negotiations with the owners of the ship to take the aid to the Egyptian port of El Airish were underway when the disagreement led to the captain setting sail. The aid was due to be unloaded at El Airish before being taken overland to Gaza.
The Greek managing company said the captain pulled away from the port with the activists on board because he was afraid more would board and divert the ship to Gaza, which is under an Israeli naval blockade.
The charity disputes this version of events and claims the disagreement was between the ship's owners and the broker.
The managing company, Ionian Bridge Shipmanagement, claimed ten activists jumped on the boat at Derna and the captain was forced to set off to prevent all of them boarding and taking over the ship.
Most of the aid, which is made up of non-perishable goods including winter provisions, warm clothing and school books, remains on lorries at Derna. Some of the aid was reportedly destroyed when the boat left its berth as it was being loaded onboard.
Three Libyans, two port policemen and the port manager are also thought to be on board the Strofades IV.
Additional reporting: Reuters
