Sugule Ali

Sugule Ali acted as the spokesperson for the Somali pirate group that hijacked the Ukrainian-flagged cargo ship MV Faina, loaded with tanks and military equipment, off the Somali coast in September 2008. He gave extensive telephone interviews to international media during the four-month standoff, defending the hijacking as a response to illegal foreign fishing and waste dumping in Somali waters. The ship was released in February 2009 after a reported ransom payment.