MOGADISHU, Dec 7: Somali pirates holding an arms-laden Ukrainian cargo ship on Sunday accused the owners of stalling on a ransom payment and threatened to pull out of a deal for its release struck a week ago.

The warning came as the European Union prepared to launch its first-ever naval operation to tackle piracy near the Horn of Africa and after heavily-armed pirates set a Dutch container ship ablaze in an unsuccessful attack off Tanzania.

The pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the Dutch-operated vessel during Saturday’s attack, 450 nautical miles east of Tanzanian capital Dar Es Salaam, the International Maritime Bureau said on Sunday.

The EU armada prepared to begin its operation amid delicate negotiations for the return of two of the biggest prizes captured by the pirates — the Ukrainian arms carrier MV Faina and the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star.

A pirate spokesman told AFP that the armed gang holding the Faina was unhappy about the delay in the ransom payment.

“The ship’s owners are taking too long to hand over the money,” the spokesman, identifying himself only as Ahmed, said. “There have been consultations between the force on the ground and on the ship and everyone agreed that if the money is not delivered on time, to abandon the agreement,” he added.

Elders in the area, who did not wish to be named, said a ransom of $3.5 million had been agreed for the ship, carrying 33 Soviet-type battle tanks, rocket launchers and ammunition when it was seized off Somalia two months ago.—AFP