Editorial: Fighting piracy in high seas
30 September 2008
THE latest incident of piracy off the coast of Somalia with a Ukrainian vessel carrying tanks and other military equipment seized by Somali pirates has brought the issue to a head — not before time, although the interest is largely because of the cargo. Fears that it might fall into terrorist hands have spurred the navies of several countries, including both the US and Russia, into action.
Piracy in the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea has to be dealt with once and for all. It is obviously of special concern to Saudi Arabia. Shipping between Jeddah, Yanbo and Jizan and points east or between the Arabian Gulf and the Suez Canal are at risk. In the case of Jizan, the multibillion riyal plans for its development are dependent on its proximity to international maritime routes; those routes have to be safe. The waters are one of the world’s main trade arteries. Each year, 48,000 ships sail through them. All are potential targets. There has already been a massive surge in attacks this year — at least 60, with 14 vessels and over 350 crew now in pirate hands. The threat is going to worsen unless decisive action is taken. The pirates, working from large mother ships, are increasingly sophisticated and striking further afield all the time.
One of the reasons why there has been a surge is that ship and cargo owners as well as governments have paid ransoms. It has encouraged the pirates. They operate with impunity from unofficial autonomous region of Puntland, where the Somali government’s writ does not extend and where they are rumored to be backed by key figures in the local administration — and the pickings are rich. The going rate was a million dollars a boat, but like the attacks, it is rising; last month two million dollars was paid for two German sailors; the Ukrainian ship with its sensitive cargo produced an initial demand for $35 million, reduced then to $20 million.
There is thought to be another reason for the surge. It is that Islamist insurgents in Somalia have become involved, using the money to fund their campaign.
Usually, piracy is the concern of countries bordering the waters affected. Somalia is in no state to deal with the issue; Yemen does not have the resources, nor does Djibouti, Sudan or Kenya. This has to be an international issue. Major Western naval powers — the Americans, the British and the French — have, for strategic purposes, been patrolling the area but on an ad-hoc basis, reacting to attacks rather than being proactive, trying to destroy the pirates and their bases. It can be done. In April, French commandoes carried out a raid on a village in Puntland to freed 30 captured crewmembers of a French yacht; six pirates were seized and sent to France for trial. Earlier this month, French commandoes again were in action, freeing two French sailors and capturing another six pirates. It was France looking after its own; after the second rescue, President Sarkozy pointedly called on other nations to follow the French example. That is all very well for those with large navies, but what about those who do not have such maritime muscle?
The scourge requires tough, coordinated action. It cannot be a NATO operation; it would antagonize the Russians and others. It has to be UN authority. So far its response has been insufficient. In June, the Security Council approved incursions into Somali waters to combat piracy. But despite both this and action by some foreign navies, attacks continue to soar. The UN regularly establishes peacekeeping forces for action on land to reimpose law and order. But there has never been a specifically UN naval force. Why not now? The situation certainly merits it.