Major shippers skirt Gulf of Aden to avoid pirates

* Maersk and other major shippers divert ships around Cape

* U.N. urged to send troops to Somalia to halt strife

* Arab League calls on Europe, United States to act

* U.N. Council votes for sanctions against troublemakers

By Abdi Sheikh

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Rampant piracy off Somalia is forcing shipping companies to avoid the Suez Canal and send cargoes of oil and other goods on a longer journey around southern Africa, industry officials said on Thursday.

Denmark's A.P. Moller-Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) is routing some of its 50 oil tankers around the Cape of Good Hope instead and Intertanko said many other tanker firms were doing the same.

Norway's Frontline (FRO.N)(FRO.OL), which ferries much of the Middle East's oil to world markets, said it was considering a similar step.

They were responding to Saturday's spectacular capture by Somali pirates of a Saudi Arabian supertanker loaded with $100 million worth of oil, the biggest ship hijacking in history.  Continued...