In War-Torn Somalia, No End In Sight For Piracy

Piracy off Somalia’s coast continues as the crew of the Maersk Alabama prepares to head home to the U.S., some telling their frightening tales to the media and others choosing to remain silent.

The incident on the Maersk Alabama was unprecedented. Never before in the piracy saga off Somalia’s coast has a crew managed to fend off attacking pirates while on board, lose their captain to a hostage situation and then end up victorious with their captain being freed and most of the pirates taken out by U.S. sniper fire.

Worrying is that some pirates have vowed revenge on U.S. ships and those Americans who sail on them, and Somali vengeance is nothing to take lightly; especially when the reality is that piracy will not be eradicated tomorrow. In all, 18 ships and more than 220 people are still held hostage by pirates.

On Tuesday, Somali pirates seized a Greek-owned ship in a nighttime attack, indicating they aren’t about to drop their very lucrative business just yet, even though a total of five pirates were killed by U.S. sharpshooters in the Maersk ship incident and in the raid by French forces on a yacht.

Last year these modern day pirates grabbed news headlines when they brazenly seized a Saudi Arabian supertanker – considered the world’s largest sea hijack – carrying about $100 million worth of crude oil. Another amazing hijack was the capture of a Ukrainian ship with a massive military cargo in its hold, including 33 Soviet-era tanks.

A country that has been without a solid government since Siad Barre was overthrown in 1991, Somalia has defied all odds and continued to limp along with continued fighting, an interim government that wields some - but not much - control and no infrastructure to speak of.

In a Somalia at peace, these pirates would be fishermen, dock workers or maritime workers. But this is not an option. Many figures are bandied about, but many believe a Somali pirate involved in a hijack with a ransom paid can walk away with about $100,000 for himself. This is a sum unheard of in a shattered country like Somalia.

Fighters wielding AK 47’s continue to wrangle over the debris left of much of Mogadishu. Pavement disintegrated a long time ago and especially along the city’s green line few walls remain in one piece. Everything has the telltale signs of battle pockmarks. At one stage Islamist fighters had control of the capital, that then fell to government troops backed by Ethiopian soldiers and now the Islamists have returned.

African Union troops numbering about 4,000 have the thankless job of trying to protect civilians and reign in infidels…and often become targets of bombings and sniper rifles themselves. There aren’t enough of them to have much of an impact nor are they equipped to deal with the war zone they patrol.

There is no hope for an end to piracy as long as Somalia continues in this vein. In order for piracy to be eradicated there needs to be a stable functioning government with legitimate forces to patrol the country and the seas around it. The need for piracy needs to be addressed. The country’s people need to be able to live in peace and find a way to sustain themselves without resorting to the gun. Children need to be able to go to school and find vocations, farmers need to be able to sow their crops and harvest them without interference. None of this will be possible without outside help.

Apart from those hijacked, those affected the most by the hijackings are the Somalis on the ground who have nothing to do with piracy or its monetary return. World Food Program supplies aboard the Maersk Alabama were destined for Uganda, Somalia and Kenya where the UN organization aims to feed a total of nearly 8 million people due to drought and high food prices in 2009.

Maersk says that the Alabama carried a total of 400 containers of food assistance for various humanitarian organizations including WFP.

Until 2 years ago many ships carrying food aid were seized, until naval escorts began traveling with the ships to Mogadishu. But the Maersk Alabama is a cargo ship meant to offload in Mombasa – the first such cargo ship carrying food aid to be hijacked. If these deliveries are affected it is those who are the most vulnerable who will suffer.

Refugee camps in northern Kenya continue to swell as brave families escape fighting in Mogadishu and its environs and walk for days to safety across Somalia’s southern border. Many children are so weak by the time they reach here, all the medical facilities available can’t help them and they die. A sad end to a very brave flight from anarchy.