The S.S. “Rann, U-a vessel sailing under the Swiss flag, reached here today with 500 tons of meat from Ethiopia, after having been detained four days and searched by Egyptian authorities enforcing their illegal blockade at Port Said.
Swiss diplomatic and consular officials at Cairo made strong representations to the Egyptian government as soon as word reached them that the freighter had been interned at Port Said. Following a search of the vessel — Much the ship’s captain described as “light”–the ship and its cargo were released.
The stopping of the “Rann” was the first; Egyptian intervention against free passage of Israel-bound shipping since the initialing of the Suez Canal transfer agreement between Great Britain and Egypt. An Israeli government spokesman declared that this was the eighth Egyptian stoppage of Israel-bound shipping within the last 21 months.
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