Taiwan monitoring situations in Sudan, Ivory Coast

Taipei, Jan. 11 (CNA) Taiwan is closely watching political developments in the African countries of Sudan and Ivory Coast but is not ready to make further assessments of the situations, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Tuesday.

Sudan, where 4 million residents in the south started a week-long referendum Sunday to determine whether to declare independence, and Ivory Coast, where the president-elect has yet to be determined since an early December election, were not stable, said Bruno C.H. Shen, deputy director-general of the MOFA's Department of African Affairs.

It is widely expected that the majority of southern Sudanese, who are mostly Christian or animist in contrast to the Muslim-dominated north, will vote to secede from Sudan, he said, but whether the south could officially declare independence by July 9 as planned was doubtful.

Asked by reporters whether Taiwan planned to recognize the new country, if it is established, Shen said the MOFA has been monitoring the situation and would definitely weigh its options.

"There are a lot of issues (for Sudan) to be solved, among them the redrawing of territorial borders and the distribution of oil fields between the south and the north, " he said.

The attitude of the north, where the country's government is based, will also be a determining factor in the outcome of the referendum.

"With so many variables and the current instability in the country, the issue of recognition is not on our mind at this moment," he said.

In the western part of the continent, Ivory Coast finds itself in a political stalemate, after both incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and opposition leader Alassane Ouattara both declared themselves the winner in the country's December presidential election.

The United Nations reported that some 200 people have been killed or have disappeared in the past month in the ensuing political conflict.

"Taiwan does not want to see the situation being solved through armed conflict, " Shen said.

The ministry has advised seven Taiwanese businesses in Ivory Coast to take precautions and temporarily leave the country if necessary, Shen said.

"However, they didn't want to leave, saying that their companies were located in the suburbs of Abidjan, where the situation remained stable, " he said, referring to the country's biggest city and former capital. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Taiwanese fishing vessel feared hijacked by Somali pirates: MOFA

Taipei, Dec. 31 (CNA) A Taiwanese fishing boat was feared to have been hijacked by Somali pirates in waters near Madagascar off the coast of eastern Africa after having been out of contact since Dec. 25, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a press release Friday.

The Kaohsiung-based longliner Hsiuh Fu No. 1 lost contact with its Taiwanese owner after being chased by unknown vessels Dec. 25 and the MOFA said it could have been hijacked in Madagascar's exclusive economic zone, given recent extensive Somali piracy activities there.

There were 26 people on board, including the Taiwanese skipper, as well as 12 Chinese and 13 Vietnamese crewmen, according to the Council of Agriculture's Fishery Agency.

The MOFA launched an emergency mission upon learning about the vessel's disappearance, instructing Taiwan's representative office in Cape Town, South Africa to seek assistance from the government of Madagascar as well as contacting the Malaysia-based International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Center, the ministry said in the press release.

The maritime watchdog Ecoterra International said on its website that the Shiuh Fu No. 1, which is licensed by the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission to fish in the waters, had been hijacked and that "on Dec. 28 the vessel maintained a strange, patrol-like pattern along Latitude 52 on the northeastern side of Madagascar."

The European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia reported that there are "strong indications that FV Shiuh Fu No. 1 has been pirated" and the conditions of the crew and the vessel are unknown.

According to the EU NAVFOR, there are 26 vessels and 613 hostages being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J 

Taiwanese vessel 'Feng Guo 168' confirmed safe: MOFA

Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) A Taiwanese fishing vessel suspected of being hijacked in the Indian Ocean near Mauritius has been confirmed safe, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official said Monday.

The "Feng Guo 168" has not been seized and arrived in the Mauritius capital Port Louis on Sunday afternoon with all 14 crew members confirmed safe, said Samuel Chen, director-general of the Department of African Affairs under the ministry.

"It was misidentified as a piracy case at first because the vessel's sailing course was strange. There were probably some quarrels between the captain and the crew, " Chen said of the boat with a Taiwanese captain, eight Vietnamese, two Indonesians and three Chinese on board. The vessel headed south to Mauritius after sailing north toward Somali waters.

The crew members contacted their families and the boat owner after reaching Port Louis, Chen said.

The ministry said it was informed by the Council of Agriculture's Fishery Agency at noon on Oct. 6 that the fishing boat, which is registered in the southern port of Tungkang, Pingtung County, could have been hijacked in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Mauritius.

The case was reported as the most southerly hijacking case by Somali pirates since the European Union's anti-piracy mission began in December 2008.

The European Union Naval Forces Somalia, which was established to fight Somali piracy, protect vessels and monitor fishing activities off the coast of Somalia, had reported the boat as safe Oct. 8 after sending out a false report the previous day saying the vessel had been hijacked.

MOFA spokesman James Chang said on the same day that the ministry was still unsure whether the boat had been hijacked by pirates or its own crew. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc

Status of hijacked Taiwanese boat remains unclear: MOFA

Taipei, Oct. 8 (CNA) The status of a Taiwanese fishing boat suspected of being hijacked in the Indian Ocean not far from Mauritius remained unclear as of Friday evening, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) official has said.

The ministry was informed by the Council of Agriculture's Fisheries Agency at noon Wednesday that the vessel "Feng Guo 168, " with a Taiwanese captain, eight Vietnamese, two Indonesians and three Chinese on board, might have been hijacked in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the island country.

The ministry was still unsure whether the boat had been hijacked by pirates or its own crew on board, MOFA spokesman James Chang said.

France, which sent a reconnaissance aircraft to locate the ship and has monitored its course since Wednesday, has agreed to continue its assistance, Chang said.

The vessel is now heading south to Mauritius after sailing north Thursday.

The MOFA also officially requested the assistance of Mauritius' government to ensure safety of the longliner in the country's EEZ.

The ministry said it has been trying to gather information about the ship through its representative offices in South Africa and France as well as Taiwanese fishery officials in Mauritius.

It has also sought the assistance of the Malaysia-based Piracy Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau and the maritime liaison office of America's Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Taiwanese fishing boat feared hijacked in Mauritius: MOFA

Taipei, Oct. 7 (CNA) A Taiwanese fishing boat might have been hijacked off Mauritius waters in the Indian Ocean, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a press release Thursday.

The ministry said it was informed by the Council of Agriculture's Fishery Agency at noon time Wednesday that the Feng-guo 168, which registered in the southern port of Tungkang, Pingtung County might be hijacked in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the island country.

Crew members of the longliner included a Taiwanese captain, eight Vietnamese, two Indonesians and three Chinese, the MOFA said.

In addition to trying to gather the latest information about the ship through its representative office in South Africa and France as well as Taiwanese fishery officials in Mauritius, the foreign ministry said it has also sought the assistance of the Malaysia-based Piracy Reporting Center of the International Maritime Bureau, a subsidiary under the International Maritime Organization, and the maritime liaison office of America's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet.

A France patrol aircraft has arrived at the scene and has located the boat, according to the ministry.

The incident was believed to be the first hijack case in the Mauritius EEZ, the MOFA said. (By Chris Wang) Enditem 

Friendly soccer games kick off Africa Week celebrations

Taipei, May 15 (CNA) Students from African countries met their Taiwanese counterparts and government officials on the soccer pitch Saturday in a friendly tournament, kicking off a series of events to highlight the upcoming Africa Week and this year's FIFA World Cup in South Africa.

The Africa-Taiwan Economic Forum, consisting of African students and staff from African embassies and representative offices in Taiwan, routed Team MOFA (Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 5-1 in a 30-minute opening match at the National Taiwan University (NTU) outdoor stadium.

It marked the first time the ministry organized a sporting event as part of celebrations for the May 25 Africa Day and Africa Week, which runs from May 26-30, said Samuel Chen, director-general of the MOFA's Department of African Affairs.

Teams of students from Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe -- Taiwan's four diplomatic allies in Africa -- and a mixed team of South African and Nigerian students met local university teams from NTU, Yang Ming University, Taipei Medical University and National Taipei University of Technology (NTUT) , in the one-day "Taiwan-Africa Youth Friendship Football Tournament." "Too often we sit in the office and forget to step outside, enjoy sunshine and share time with families and friends, " Njabuliso Gwebu, Ambassador of Swaziland, told participants at the opening ceremony, adding that the tournament is a great opportunity for expats to get together and enjoy the "football fever." Kelson Chimutu, a Ming Chuan University sophomore from Malawi, was an emergency call-up to Team Sao Tome and Principe as the team was short of players.

"Unfortunately soccer is not as popular in Taiwan as baseball and basketball. It's good to have the opportunity to play in a soccer tournament, " said Chimutu, who is studying international trade and plans to establish a business after graduation.

He said he will watch the upcoming World Cup tournament on television even if he has to stay up late for broadcasts due to the time difference between South Africa and Taiwan.

The Malawian, who spoke fluent Mandarin, said he enjoyed almost every aspect of his life in Taiwan -- "except for tofu." Steamed dumplings, known locally as "xiaolongbao, " and bubble milk tea are his favorites, he said.

Mamadi, Ebrima Nijie and Yankuba B., known at NTUT as "the Gambian Musketeers, " played for their school rather than their "national team" in the tournament. They are members of the school's Gambian Information Technology (IT) Elite Program, which now has 25 students.

The IT program and a 25-man civil engineering program are part of plans by Gambian President Yahya Jammeh, who has pledged to establish an "African Silicon Valley" in the country by 2020, said Samantha Wang of NTUT's International Cooperation Section.

A cocktail party celebrating Africa Day will be held May 25 at Huashan 1914 Creative Park, where President Ma Ying-jeou will unveil a weeklong exhibition showcasing Taiwan's humanitarian relief efforts in Africa in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. An Africa Fair will take place May 29-30 at the same location. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc

Taiwan boat feared hijacked by Somali pirates

Taipei, May 8 (CNA) A Taiwanese longline fishing boat is believed to have been hijacked by Somali pirates west of the Maldives, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Saturday in a press release.

The ministry said it was informed by the Council of Agriculture's Fishery Agency and the Coast Guard Administration late Friday that there had been no contact with the Taiyuan 227 since Thursday night. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) and Malaysia-based Piracy Reporting Center were immediately appraised of the situation, the MOFA added.

The owner of the boat managed to make contact early Saturday via satellite phone with the vessel, which was sailing toward Somalia, and was asked by unknown persons on board the boat to pay a ransom, the ministry reported.

The MOFA said there are no Taiwanese crew members on the Kaohsiung-based Taiyuan 227, the third Taiwanese fishing boat to be hijacked or attacked near Somali waters in the last two months.

The Zechuhtsai, a longline fishing boat, was hijacked by Somali pirates on March 30 and another vessel, the Juimanfa, managed to escape after a three-hour chase by pirates that same day.

Relatives of the Taiwanese crew members on the Zechuntsai are still negotiating with the Somali pirates and have asked the MOFA not to interfere in the process, Samuel Chen, director-general of the ministry's Department of African Affairs, said in a press briefing Thursday.

Taiwan's representative offices in India and South Africa have been instructed to request assistance from the governments of those countries, the MOFA said.

Another Taiwanese boat, the Win Far No. 161, was released in early February after its owner paid an undisclosed sum to the Somali pirates who had hijacked the ship and had been holding its crew captive since April 6 last year. (By Chris Wang) enditem /pc

Taiwan hospital saves African boys suffering from severe burns

Taipei, May 7 (CNA) A local hospital's medical team has saved two African boys suffering from severe burns in an emergency medical relief mission coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the ministry and hospital said Friday.

The two unrelated 7-year-old boys, from Taiwan's western African diplomatic ally Sao Tome and Principe, arrived in Taiwan on April 11 for emergency treatment due to the lack of medical support in the country and its neighbors, said Foreign Affairs Minister Timothy C.T. Yang.

The boys' initial prognosis was not optimistic, said Tsui Kang, spokesman of Wan Fang Hospital. They had both suffered second-to-third degree burns, with one boy, named Fernando, having burns covering 40 percent of his body surface area (BSA) and the other, Aurelio, having a 9 percent BSA.

Fernando underwent two skin-grafting operations, including one that lasted 10 hours, while Aurelio had one operation. Both are now recovering well, Tsui said.

Fernando, who sustained burns when a pot of hot oil and water fell on him after he bumped into his mother in their kitchen, could barely stretch out his arm when he arrived in Taiwan, but his range of motion increased from just 20 degrees to 160 degrees after several skin grafts, Tsui said.

Aurelio sustained burns to the backs of his knees after spilling and igniting an oil container, leaving him unable to bend his knees, Tsui said. He can now stretch his legs straight and also jump on one foot, according to the spokesman.

"When the accident happened I told myself 'this is it' and my son's chances of recovering were slim. I'd never imagine that we would be here in Taiwan with the medical team and the first-class treatment, " Shela comis Lopes, Fernando's mother, told CNA through an interpreter.

The boys are scheduled to fly back to Sao Tome and Principe May 17 with their families.

A third child who was also suffering from severe wounds was scheduled to be brought to Taiwan for treatment as part of the group but died prior to the trip, said Yang, who initiated the mission after learning of the accidents from a friend.

The mission showed that Taiwan had extended its goodwill and friendship to its allies through concrete actions rather than lip service, said Sao Tome and Principe Ambassador to Taiwan Jorge Amado.

"Today's event is the most valuable testimony of 13 years of bilateral friendship between Sao Tome and Principe and Taiwan," Amado said.

The mission was only one part of Taiwan's continuous effort to take advantage of its medical expertise and provide medical relief to countries around the world, Yang said.

Taiwan has used different formats and services in various countries in practicing medical diplomacy, Yang added, noting that Taiwan has overseas-based medical teams as well as touring medical teams to provide medical care for special diseases.

It also helps other countries train medical staff, he said. (By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

African, Taiwan students to play friendly soccer games

Taipei, May 6 (CNA) Students from six African countries will meet Taiwanese counterparts in friendly soccer games in Taipei on May 15 to highlight the May 25 "Africa Day" and the upcoming FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.

The friendly meet is one of a series of events the ministry is organizing to celebrate "Africa Week, " which has added importance this year because it is the 50th anniversary of independence for many African countries, said Chen Shih-liang, director of MOFA's Department of African Affairs.

Scheduled for May 15 at National Taiwan University, the friendlies will open with a match between MOFA officials and a team consisting of officials from various African embassies and representative offices in Taiwan. Later teams of students from Burkina Faso, Gambia, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe -- Taiwan's four diplomatic allies in Africa -- and a mixed team of South African and Nigerian students will play local university teams, Chen said.

South Africa has offered a 90-day "event visa" for those holding tickets to the 2010 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in South Africa from June 11 to July 11, so fans traveling there will be able to enjoy expedited customs clearance service, Chen said. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc

Libya eyes investment from Taiwan SMEs

Taipei, April 19 (CNA) Libya is hoping for direct investment from Taiwan's small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as the North African country seeks to become the region's technology hub, visiting Libyan officials said at a seminar Monday.

Officials from the Libyan Economic Development Board (EDB) briefed dozens of Taiwanese businessmen on potential trade and investment opportunities in Libya, which has maintained warm relations with Taiwan in recent years despite the lack of official bilateral diplomatic ties.

EDB Director-General Mahmoud Gebril said the Libyan government launched a series of ambitious programs in 2007, many of which were designed by the EDB, to develop the country's modern infrastructure and "soft power," including education and technology.

Taiwan's SMEs, especially in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, are welcome to invest in Libya and will play an important role in its national development if they do, Gebril said.

Mike Hung, chairman of the Taiwan-Africa Industry Development Association, said trade with Libya is more viable now that the United Nations (U.N.) has lifted its trade sanctions and bans on aircraft movements, oil exports and arm sales that were originally imposed over Libya's suspected terror links.

But he noted that Taiwanese businesses never stopped doing business with Tripoli during the time sanctions were in force because Libyan businessmen enjoyed good reputations.

Gebril, who insisted that the trip was private because of the sensitivity of Taiwan-China-Libya relations, encouraged Taiwan's SMEs to take advantage of the country's strategic geographic location, connecting the European Union (EU) , Africa and the Arab world and serving as a gateway to the African market.

He added that Tripoli would provide foreign investors with a wide range of incentives, such as tax exemptions in a special economic zone, to create a win-win situation for both parties.

Meanwhile, Taiwan is also hoping to strengthen its exchanges with Libya. Bilateral trade volume between the two countries grew by 2.7 percent last year, one of Taiwan's few trade relationships to show positive growth during the global economic slump, said Chang Shih-chang, Europe and Africa Section manager of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), Taiwan's trade promotion agency.

In May 2006, then-Taiwan president Chen Shui-bian made a surprise visit to Tripoli, where he was greeted by Libyan leader Muammar Al-Gaddafi. Saif Gaddafi, son of the leader, reportedly visited Taiwan prior to Chen's meeting with his father, who has ruled the country since 1969. The visit was dubbed as a "diplomatic breakthrough" by the Chen administration.

In addition to the ICT sector, Taiwan SMEs which specialize in the water purification, solar energy, machinery, infrastructure, hotel, and petrochemical sectors are also encouraged to invest, Hung said.

He also suggested that Taiwan's yacht manufacturers could take advantage of Libya's 1,770-kilometer coastline.

Libya has been keen to diversify its economy away from its traditionally heavy reliance on oil exports, Hung said, which is why Libya has announced plans to privatize more than 100 state-owned companies and encourage more foreign direct investment (FDI).

There are dozens of Taiwanese businessmen in Libya at present, Hung said. Taiwan's state-owned petrochemical giant CPC Corp. has just launched an oil exploration project this month after winning tenders on oil exploration rights in southern Libya, he said.

(By Chris Wang) enditem/ls

Taiwan keen to help Africa adapt to climate change

Taipei, March 17 (CNA) Taiwan is pushing forward with efforts to combat climate change and is keen to help its African allies cope with the challenge, Taiwan's government officials and scholars said Wednesday at an international meeting.

Despite the fact that Taiwan is not a member of the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC) , it will abide by the non-binding results of the Copenhagen Accord, said Stephen Shu-hung Shen, minister of the Environmental Protection Administration, in the "Taiwan and Africa Environmental Leaders Meeting." Taiwan, which is estimated to account for one percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, is taking a series of actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change, Shen told the meeting.

Taiwan's government has announced a Guidelines for Sustainable Energy Policy in 2008 and has been engaged in enactment of four energy-related laws, including: the GHG (Green House Gas) Reduction Law, the Act for Renewable Energy, the Act for Energy Tax, and the Energy Management Act, Shen said.

President Ma Ying-jeou has also vowed to make the year 2010 a year of "conserving energy and reducing carbon emissions, " Shen noted.

Ma has also pledged to cut Taiwan's emissions to 2005 levels by 2020 and reduce emissions by 50 percent before 2010, Shen said.

While Taiwan has a tough task ahead in cutting its own emissions, it is able to help African countries on the issue with its expertise, Shen and academics said at the one-day meeting that gathered environmental officials from Taiwan's allies in the African continent, including Burkina Faso, the Gambia, Sao Tome and Principe and Swaziland.

Shen said Taiwan would like to cooperate with its African allies in knowledge-sharing and promotion of the green energy industry.

Despite the differences between Taiwan and Africa, Taiwan can offer Africa help in education and health investments, as well as developing land-use management, river management and an early-warning system, said Young Chea-yuan, a professor at Chinese Culture University's Department of Natural Resources.

It can also help African nations improve their response capability through the nature conservation systems and develop social networks for protecting the poor from natural disasters, Young said.

Africa is the most fragile continent where agriculture production and food safety are at high risks from global warming, Robert Dixon, leader of the climate change and chemicals investment at Global Environment Facility (GEF) , told the meeting. Climate change will also aggravate water stress in the continent, he added.

Delegates from non-ally African nations, including South Africa, Kenya, Libya and Nigeria, also attended the meeting. (By Chris Wang) enditem/cs 

Two crewmen of Taiwanese vessel die during Somali hijacking: MOFA

Taipei, Feb. 25 (CNA) Two crewmen -- an Indonesian and a Chinese national -- of a Taiwanese fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates that was later used to attack the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama, have died, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Thursday.

The MOFA also said it had not received any information from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which reportedly wants the original crew of the Win Far 161 for questioning in connection with the piracy attack against Maersk Alabama.

The 700-ton longliner Win Far 161 and its crew of 30 were released Feb. 11 by Somali pirates who hijacked the vessel near an island in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean April 6, 2009. Two days later, the vessel was reported to have been used by Somali pirates as a mother ship in the April 8 attack against the U.S. ship.

Earlier this month, the MOFA said all the crew were safe and denied a report from the maritime watchdog Ecoterra International saying that three men -- two Indonesians and one Chinese crewman -- had died of malnutrition and disease.

The Win Far 161 is expected to return to Taiwan in mid-March, said Samuel Chen, director-general of MOFA's Department of African Affairs.

According to Ecoterra International, the 10-month Win Far 161 ordeal was the longest-running case of Somali piracy.

"During the 10 months the vessel was held in Somalia, information received by the ministry was vague and conflicting due to a lack of electronic communication, " Department of African Affairs section chief Huang Chih-yang said.

The ministry had trouble sending staff to Somalia due to safety concerns and had to rely heavily on the ship owner for information. The ship's owner did the negotiation for ransom and did not allow the ministry to interfere, Huang noted.

Chen rebutted reports that the hostages' respective authorities did not provide assistance to the crewmen and said the rescue was a coordinated international effort that involved many international organizations.

The ministry is aware of the report that the Win Far 161 was used to attack the Maersk Alabama right after it was seized, Huang went on, adding that global positioning system information shows the Taiwanese vessel was close to the U.S. ship at the time.

"It could have been used, but there is no way for us to confirm that at present, " Huang said.

MOFA confirms Taiwanese fishermen detained in Tanzania

Taipei, Feb. 25 (CNA) Two Taiwanese nationals have been detained in a Tanzanian prison since last March after a Taiwanese vessel was arrested for poaching in Tanzania waters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) confirmed Thursday.

FV Tawariq-4, an Omani-registered fishing boat with a Taiwanese owner and a crew composed of 15 Chinese, five Vietnamese, two Taiwanese, eight Filipinos, five Indonesians and three Kenyans, was detained March 8, 2009 and the crew have been held in two prisons ever since, according to a report from maritime watchdog Ecoterra International.

Samuel Chen, director-general of the MOFA's Department of African Affairs, confirmed the case and the detention, which had not been reported previously, but said the ship owner did not seek help from the ministry until last October.

The Philippines' Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also confirmed the detention of the eight Filipinos.

The ministry first learned of the case after receiving information from the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) office based in Nairobi, Kenya late last year, MOFA's Department of African Affairs section chief Huang Chih-yang said.

Upon learning the news, the MOFA requested representatives of the TAITRA office in Nairobi to visit the detained fishermen and provide necessary assistance and relief, MOFA spokesman James Chang said.

"After the visit, we are sure that there are no safety or health concerns for the crewmen, " Chang said.

Overseas Taiwanese in Tanzania also helped arrange the visit and communication, Huang went on, adding that the case is now in the Tanzanian judicial procedure, with the next trial expected to take place in March. He said the department will monitor the progress of the case closely.

The Omani company to which the vessel is registered has been trying to deal with the case, Yang went on, and the fishing company and the owner are expected to be fined subject to Tanzanian laws.

The detained Taiwanese are believed to be a crewman and the vessel's owner, who went to Tanzania to help with the case but was also detained due to identification and license troubles, he said.

Ecoterra has reported that one of three Kenyan crew of Tawariq-4 died under mysterious circumstances in a Tanzanian prison and that the crewmen, who have appeared in a Tanzanian court three times, have complained that none of their embassies have been following the case.

All crew released by Somali pirates safe: MOFA

Taipei, Feb. 12 (CNA) All 30 crew members of a Taiwanese deep-sea fishing vessel are safe and on their way back to Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) reiterated Friday, rebutting media reports that three of its crew had died.

The 700-ton longliner Win Far 161 and its crew of 30 were released the previous day by Somali pirates who hijacked the vessel near an island in the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean April 6, 2009 and held them for 10 months.

According to the ministry's most recent contact with the boat's owner, the crew of 30, including 17 Filipinos, six Indonesians, five Chinese and two Taiwanese, are safe, a MOFA official said, adding that military vessels in adjacent waters will escort the boat and its crew, as well as provide food, water and health services during its return voyage to Taiwan.

"Reports of the death of two Indonesians and a Chinese are false and groundless, " the official said.

The official also rebutted reports that the hostages' respective authorities did not provide any assistance in attempts to facilitate humanitarian relief, saying that the rescue was a coordinated international effort that involved many international organizations.

The MOFA helped the owner to contact various international maritime and anti-piracy organizations to seek humanitarian aid and protection for the ship and its crew upon release, according to the official.

The ministry had also been in contact with United Kingdom's Maritime Trade Operations, the office of the U.S. Navy Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, the United Nations' International Maritime Organization, as well as government agencies in Somalia and the Seychelles for assistance over the past 10 months, the official went on.

The rescue efforts were fraught with difficulty because of the Somalian interim provisional government's inability to rule the country and because of the withdrawal of U.S., British and U.N. bases and other international organizations from the country due to the political unrest there, the MOFA said.

According to the maritime watchdog Ecoterra International, the Win Far 161 had been poaching in Somali waters when it was hijacked in the longest-running case of Somali piracy.

Kenyan runner to defend Tainan International Marathon title

Taipei, Feb. 22 (CNA) Kenyan long-distance runner Bernard Mutai will make it to the southern city of Tainan to defend his title in the 2008 Tainan International Marathon, despite widespread violence that has torn his homeland apart, the Sports Affairs Council (SAC) said Friday.

Three other Kenyan athletes will not be able to leave the East African country, which has been mired in violence in which 1,000 people have died following a controversial presidential election, the SAC said in a statement.

Mutai finished first in the men’s group in two hours, 21 minutes and 11 seconds while Russian runner Oksana Lokhlova won the women’s group in 3:03:09 last year.

More than 6,000 runners will participate in four distances -- the 42.195-kilometer full marathon, the 21-km, half-marathon, the 10 km and the 3 km -- in the annual race. Taiwanese runner Wu Wen-chian, who has qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will participate in the 10km event as a pre-Olympics warm-up.

Taiwan businessmen explore opportunities in Africa

Taipei, Jan. 10 (CNA) More than 80 Taiwanese companies are exploring business opportunities in Africa, where most countries welcome investment from and trade development with Taiwan, the chairman of the Taiwan-Africa Business Association (TABA) said Thursday.

"The African continent is rich in natural resources and is a large market that Taiwanese businesses need. While Taiwan has suffered on the continent diplomatically as a result of China's oppression, we as businessmen have been able to develop multilateral ties with African businesses without interference from China, " Eden Chou said at a TABA anniversary ceremony.

More and more local companies are eyeing Africa, with TABA membership increasing from 40 to more than 80 in a year, said Chou, who sells auto parts in Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana.

The association, which was established last year with the help of the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) , has sent 11 delegations to seven African countries -- Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Ghana, Gambia, Kenya and Ivory Coast -- to gather information and seek potential partners.

TABA has enjoyed fruitful results, signing Memoranda of Understanding with the Kenya Association of Manufacturers and the Egyptian Businessmen Association, and is scheduled to send out more delegations in collaboration with TAITRA.

"We welcome investment from all sectors in Taiwan and look forward to establishing stronger bilateral trade relations. With 14 million people, Burkina Faso is an attractive market for Taiwanese businessmen, " said Jacques Sawadogo, Burkina Faso's ambassador to the Republic of China.

Speaking on Africa's appeal to Taiwanese businesses, Liaison Office of South Africa in Taiwan Deputy Representative C.A. du Toit said the population of the continent is predominantly young people who will be more educated and technology-smart in the future. In the long run, it will be an attractive market, she said.

However, local businessmen have been reluctant to directly invest in African countries because of various risks, but they still want to trade with African businesses, said Mike Hung, honorary vice chairman of TABA.

Most local companies trading with African partners are in the sectors of communication, minerals, civil engineering, solar energy and food processing, Hung said.

Project 'moulin' to help unconnected world with offline Wikipedia

Taipei, Aug. 4 (CNA) As most people are happy surfing Wikipedia, one of the most popular online reference Web sites, some people have been trying to deliver an "offline Wikipedia" to the developing countries and the "unconnected part of the world". One of them is French programmer Renaud Gaudin, who is working for the purpose under a project named "moulin."

The "moulin, " which means windmill in French, attempts to improve the access to basic information and reference material in developing countries by making it possible to access Wikipedia offline, said Gaudin Saturday in a seminar of Wikimania 2007, an annual Wikimedia conference which is being held in Taipei.

"Basically, moulin is a fully interactive, offline version of the entire Wikipedia, without pictures, on a CD, " said the French programmer who based in West African country Mali as an non-government organization volunteer.

The project is the brainchild of Gaudin and Frederic Renet, who realized that while many organizations focused on bringing computer to people in developing countries, few have paid attention to making content available for people in those places that do not have access to the Internet.

"Wikipedia has been also developing a project called 'Wikipedia on DVD', a CD collection of around 2,000 Wikipedia articles, but we want to do more than that. We wanted to have the full Wikipedia in the CD because people in Africa don't know about too many things, " said Gaudin.

The current French version moulin contains around 450,000 Wikipedia articles, he said.

Moulin started off as a side project of Geekcorps Mali, an NGO Gaudin worked for. The initial prototype of the system ran on Nokia 770, a portable internet tablet. Gaudin later rewrote the software and developed the current version of moulin which can be run off a CD before volunteering for his second tour to Mali.

Gaudin, who is now developing the software on his own with several friends volunteering in developing the software in different languages, said he talked to organizations and projects, such as OLPC (One Laptop Per Child), for collaboration.

"OLPC said it would develop a system of its own since the project targeted for children and did not need the whole Wikipedia, " he said.

The biggest problem for Gaudin right now is the lack of distribution power and funding, although it did receive funding from USAID. Without enough money, it's difficlut to distribute the French version CDs across West Africa, he said.

Gaudin, who visits Taiwan for the first time, is still optimistic, saying he plans to develop the pocket device version of moulin and set up a distribution network in Africa. He also looks forward to collaborating with people in other countries.