He says the 17,000-ton Maersk Alabama was taken Wednesday. The Kenya-based diplomat spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. [break]
Company representatives and a spokeswoman from the U.S. embassy in Nairobi were not immediately able to confirm the hijacking.
Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers´ Assistance Program said the ship was taken about 400 miles (640 kilometers) from the Somali capital, Mogadishu.
The vessel is the sixth to be seized within a week and the first with an all-American crew.
Related story
Islamic extremist attack on Somali hotel leaves 26 dead
