Argentine president orders to evacuate warship detained in Ghana

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez on Saturday ordered the evacuation of over 300 sailors from a frigate detained in Ghana. The Argentine foreign ministry said the president, concerned about the crew's basic rights and the lack of power to meet essential needs or respond to emergency on board, made the decision as Ghana authorities refused to release the ship or refuel it. The Argentine naval training ship Libertad, on a "good-will mission" with 220 crew members and 110 students aboard, was seized by port officials at Ghana's eastern Tema Port on Oct. 2. Most of those on board were Argentine. The seizure was conducted under a Ghanian court order secured by the Cayman Islands-based NML Capital Limited suing the South American country over its 2002 bond default. The firm says the ship won't be released unless 20 million U.S. dollars, out of the total over 300 million debts, are paid by the country. Argentina announced a massive sovereign default during an economic crisis a decade ago, and has ever since faced a series of lawsuits by bondholders seeking recovery of the defaulted bonds' value. Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman called the firm "vulture" and declared the seizure of the warship "illegal." He warned his country would bring the case to the UN if necessary.