Tag: maritime piracy

As attacks intensify off Somali coast While much of the world's economy is in the doldrums, business is booming for Somalia's pirates, whose attacks on commercial ships sailing Africa's east coast are more frequent, violent and lucrative than ever.Pirates took in an estimated $160 million in ransoms last year, and one study predicts the number will climb to $400 million by 2015, as the high seas thieves continue their brazen reign on the Indian Ocean. Efforts by shipping companies to beef up security, and by the European Union, which has mounted airstrikes on pirate ships, have so far been met with stepped-up attacks. Chillingly, pirates are now chopping off the limbs of captives in extreme cases when the airdrop of cash isn't made quickly enough to suit them."It's an established, structured model, where you have Somalis who are leading and financing operations and then you have pirates who actually go out to sea and conduct the activity," Brian Green, chief of the counter-piracy branch of the Office of Naval Intelligence, told FoxNews.com of the piracy industry. "They are, more or less, foot soldiers. They find targets of opportunity, attack them with the goal of hijacking and bringing that vessel back ...

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Pirates on trial Pirates accused of kidnapping a British couple off Somalia could be hauled to the UK to stand trial.Paul and Rachel Chandler were seized from their yacht and held in Africa for a year before being freed after a ransom of up to 620,000 was reportedly paid.Now Government lawyers here are working with Interpol to arrest and extradite the Somali gang, who are in custody in neighbouring Kenya.It would be highly unusual for suspects to be extradited back to the UK for a crime committed overseas.But both the Home and Foreign Office are keen to take a firm stance on pirates running amok off east Africa.A source close to Paul, 61, and Rachel, 57, of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, said: "The family have been told that officials are keen the kidnappers do not go unpunished."Paul and Rachel have doubts about whether the gang would ever be brought to justice if a trial went ahead in Africa."The men accused of being the armed bandits who boarded the Chandlers' boat near the Seychelles in 2009 are being tried in Kenya for an attack on a French ship.Paul has told MPs: "I'd like to see them prosecuted by the UK authorities."A Parliamentary ...

'Wave of piracy' could raise shipping costs by 150% over the coming years! A report by management consultancy AT Kearney and the Gulf Petrochemicals & Chemicals Association has warned that a renewed 'wave of piracy' could raise shipping costs by 150% over the coming years.This potentially disastrous scenario could come to be if the current situation is allowed to continue. The report suggests that "piracy containment" could be achieved by a greater use of naval forces and an increase in the engagement of private security teams. This form of escalation would, however, cost the shipping industry up to twice what it is currently spending on private security.The report also hints at a 'permanent solution', ergo the stabilisation of the Somali economy. Said solution envisages an end to overfishing off the coast of Somalia and alternatives to piracy. Neither of these goals would cost the shipping community.The scenario in which piracy would be entirely eliminated from the Horn would require an international effort that drew on a number of players and would be dependent on the active involvement of countries belonging to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Indeed the report cautioned that the role of GCC states would be critical.The report's ...

International community must help Somalia build its own security International forces cannot solve Somalia's security problems in the long term and the fragile country needs its own strong force to do the job, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Friday.Ban spoke spoke at a conference in Istanbul that aims to support Somalia in a transition process calling for a new constitution and parliament, and the election of a president, by Aug. 20. The Horn of Africa nation dissolved into anarchy in 1991 and has endured conflict and deprivation ever since. African Union troops have helped Somalia's transitional government in itsAyhan Arfat/Associated Press - In this Thursday, May 31, 2012 photo photo provided by Turkish Presidency Press Service, Turkey's President Abdullah Gul, right, and Somalia's Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, second left, are seen during a meeting in Istanbul, Turkey. Ali said Thursday that his country has more to offer than pirates, militants and images of the hungry, and that Somalis can even teach the world a thing or twoWhile significant gains have been made in that fight, Ban said the international community must help Somalia build its own security apparatus, establish the rule of law and shed a pervasive culture of ...

Pirates failed to hijack the ship after the crew hid in a safe room Pirates attacked a Greek-owned oil tanker off Nigeria Friday but failed to hijack the ship after the crew hid in a safe room, the International Maritime Bureau said.The tanker was anchored off Lagos when armed pirates boarded early on Friday, said Noel Choong, head of the IMB's piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, reports AFP.The 23 crew onboard managed to lock themselves into a safe room and sent out a distress call that was received by the IMB, which in turn alerted the Nigerian navy and other warships patrolling the area, Choong said.Safe rooms are increasingly used by shipping firms to protect crews and thwart pirate attacks.Choong said the pirates, likely aiming to steal the ship's cargo, abandoned their plan as they could not enter the safe room and urged crews of other ships off West Africa to be vigilant."The area remains risky," he told AFP. "We urge all ships to maintain strict anti-piracy watches," he said.At least 21 attacks in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa have taken place this year, with four vessels hijacked, according to Choong.Two seafarers have been ...

Piracy, hunger and al-Shabaab are just some of the issues Somalia must deal with Time is running out for Somalia's discredited transitional government. It is due to be replaced by mid-August and, after months of talks, it seems its members may have accepted that, this time, the deadline is immutable.Augustine Mahiga, the UN secretary general's special representative to Somalia, certainly believes the end is near. After a three-day meeting of senior Somali politicians in Addis Ababa last week, he said the world should already be thinking about life after the 20 August deadline for naming a new president."Somalia is less than 90 days away from the most momentous event in its recent history," Mahiga said in Nairobi on Friday. "There is not a moment to spare as Somalia and its partners get down to work and ensure this process is participatory, legitimate, inclusive, transparent and, above all, Somali-owned."After two decades of on-off conflict, Somalis may be forgiven for feeling sceptical. "There is a sense of deja vu," said independent Horn of Africa analyst Rashid Abdi, adding that Somalis had little faith in politicians renowned for infighting and tainted by allegations of corruption. "There are ... a lot of reservations and ...

A Film By SBS- Distributed By Journeyman Pictures When pirates first started hijacking ships off the coast of Somalia they were regarded as little more than a nuisance. But with the problem hitting crisis point, one tiny nation has decided to take a stand. The piracy dominating the Somali seas is spreading. Now, 600 miles away, the idyllic Seychelles has found itself thrust into the midst of a crisis. But how does an island nation spread across an area the size of France police its seas?The President has adopted a zero tolerance policy, authorising its coastguard to pursue and engage pirates anywhere. "It is an act of war that we are facing out there". The anarchy in Somalia is worrying the island nation, who fear that Al Shabab have entered the pirate fray.With limited help coming from international authorities, the Seychelles has remarkably detained and prosecuted over 30 pirates so far. "1500 men are challenging world order, flouting the navy, the UN, the EU. Unless we act quickly, strongly and efficiently, we'll hit a point of no return".

Says GPCA's report The Middle East supply chains are facing increased risk from piracy as the alternatives to by-pass the dangerous waters zone are limited, a new report warned.A joint Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA) and A.T. Kearney report, "Managing Supply Chain Risk: Understanding Piracy Threat", presented three potential outcomes over the next decade: a new piracy wave, lethal force escalation and a permanent solution.This year marks a turning point in piracy activities. The number of vessels captured in 2011 compared to 2010 reduced by over 50% and further reductions are expected in the coming years, it says.However, as the success rate for capturing ships decreases, ransom requests are getting higher and Somali pirates are becoming more aggressive and strategic. Pirates are acting further off the coast of Somalia, and are now in the Gulf of Oman, positioning themselves closer to traffic lanes in search of vessels of opportunity, according to the report.This prompts industry stakeholders to identify how best to prevent and mitigate piracy impact. Understanding piracy in a wider context enables industry stakeholders to interpret the impact on their supply chains, assisting supply chain managers to better prepare flexible, long-term plans."In the short term, Gulf petrochemical companies ...

Michael Scott Moore being held hostage by Somali kidnappers