Pirates flee from the German navy as the frigate Rheinland-Pfalz intercepted them in the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's coast on March 3, 2009. The German navy detained nine people on March 3, 2009 after they tried to attack a German merchant ship, German media reported. (REUTERS/Bundeswehr)
This handout photo shows Somali pirates hijacking the MV Faina, a cargo ship owned and operated by Kaalbye Shipping Ukraine on September 25, 2008. The pirates ultimately released the MV Faina and its cargo of 33 Soviet-era T-72 tanks plus other weapons on February 5, 2009 following a ransom payment of $3.2 million, a local man who helped negotiate the deal said. (REUTERS/U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs/Handout/Files) #
The crew of the hijacked Ukrainian merchant vessel MV Faina stand on the deck, under the watch of armed Somali pirates on November 9 after a US Navy request to check on their health and welfare, at sea off the coast of Somalia. (HO/AFP/Getty Images) #
Commandos from French frigate Le Floreal arrest nine Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden in this January 27, 2009 photo released on Wednesday by the French Navy. As foreign navies fight increasingly brazen gangs that hijack commercial vessels in busy shipping lanes. France has captured 57 pirates in seven such oparations since last April. (HO/Reuters) #
Somali pirates captured in the Gulf of Aden are presented to the Puntland marine forces in the northern port town of Bosasso, Somalia on March 2, 2009. U.S. forces handed over nine pirates to Somali authorities of the semi-autonomous region of Puntland on Monday, said local official. (REUTERS/Stringer) #
Pirates of Gulf of Aden
Pirates of Gulf of Aden, Somali pirates, Modern 21st century Pirates, whatever you call it, the pirates of Somali has taken the headlines of every newspaper and media frequently enough that to some extent everybody knows about them.
We have watch the box office hit movie of Jony Deb “The Pirates of Caribbean”, that was so thrilling and entertaining that we loss the big picture behind this modern days Pirates of Somali coast. What’s their story, how they raise, how they capture ships these days (on an average of 3-4 ships per day), how they manage to get away with those. This is 21st century. The ships are very much modern, above all why no one can do anything against Somali Pirates. Are they more modernized then the western. The answer is certainly not, they are not. They use only small speedboat for capturing and hijacking commercial tanker, vessels. Now they are attacking ships 400miles away from the coastline of Somalia! Can you feel their courage? They are fearless tribe.
First of all let me tell about who these pirates were, and how they become pirates. And my friends it’s not a thrilling story. It all starts from the crisis of poverty and hunger. After the fall of Siid Barre’s government in 1991, this region (the whole Somalia) never saw any development and any action of law. It was and still a region of lawlessness. The origin of the Pirates is the Somali fishermen of Gulf of Aden. Mainly you will find them in Puntland and coast of southern Somalia. As because there was no government for long time, the developed nation’s fisherman took the advantage to come to their coast to catch fishes. With their modern well equipped fish catching boats, they are unbeatable to Somali fisherman. They were saying from far South Korea fisherman comes half way around the world for fishes in this coastal region! Because who will stop them, nobody is responsible for this region. No government is working in this region, who will protect Somali fisherman? They left with extreme poverty; the whole fishing industry is almost dead by now. Another issue was dumping toxic waste in the Somali coast. I have been told that ships from all over the world comes here to dump their toxic waste in the gulf of Aden. This is again bad for the fishing industry in this region. At the beginning some fisherman forms team to smuggle the foreign ships to threaten them out of their coast. In return they got paid good ransom by ship owners. After few of these incident Somali fishermen found it an easy way of income. More fisherman starts to forms team of 6-7 person and start doing so. I have to tell you they are not all together a gang rather now hundreds of small groups. Every group sails as their own. They use Kalasnikov (AK 47) and Uzi at most. They dressed as a very simple fisherman, t- shirt and Lungi with Ak 47 in their hands. If you ask me how they got Ak 47, then I have to say it’s available everywhere in this region. I can buy one for 300USD (approx) in Borama town (where I am living now). And they know some place where it is cheaper. As the ships/tanker/other fishing boats do not keep any guns on board (I do not know why, maybe there are some international rules), Somali pirates with their small and fast speedboat quickly came on board with guns and force captain to bring his ship closer to Somali coast and force him to contact the owner of the ship or owner of transporting goods for ransom. I never heard Somali pirates to shoot and kill in action. They just keep the ship and its crews its cargo as captive and demand money. This is how they hijack modern day’s ships and becomes the Pirates of Gulf of Aden.
Now the piracy becomes very broad and good business in this region. At this time they have more than 100 ships in their captivity. Per ship they collect about half a million to more three million US dollars. And let me remind you they are getting these amounts from the ships or transporting god owners. Now these Somali pirates (most of them) are very rich peoples, they have resorts mostly in Kenya, Uganda by different names. Day by day they are becoming unstoppable. You see in the Gulf of Aden, who does not have their fleet to protect the piracy. US, French, Italian, Greeks and all the red seas Arab nations even Indians. But what can do? Nothing, yes they do not know what to do to stop.
Recently Prof. Hasan (a faculty member of the university currently I am lecturing) made a visit to Mogdishu, he told me that most of the young generation Somali are now heading towards piracy business. To them it’s an issue of get rich or die in hunger. They are desperate. They have nowhere to go. They have nothing to do with their lives. Their dream is to become rich in one day and go somewhere and start a good business and starts a brand new life, life of stability; leave the life of uncertainty poverty hunger. To them they see only two paths, one they might get killed during the action or two they could become rich. There is another 3rd option left to them is to be as they were that is to die in hunger or die in cross fire in the street, live like a dead man, no future, no hopes. Just do a math, if a team of 6 persons hijack a vessel and got paid 2 million US dollar, per person will get more than three hundred and thirty three thousand USD (333,333 USD = 2.3 core Taka) for an expense of few Ak 47 and few hours action and probably 1-3 months captivity. After that captive period they will get paid, and then imagine where will you go with that 2.3 core taka. Tell me what will you do? You can go anywhere and start any business forget the past, have a prosperous life. Most of them do like this, took the piracy as one time act. Very few of them do it professionally over and over. So, just try to visualize their mental condition and the cause behind this psychology. It is the extreme uncertainty and poverty in their life makes them so fearless and UNSTOPPABLE.
The conclusion is poverty hunger made this Somali fisherman to become unstoppable fearless pirates and the sparks of easy money made them desperate. Long time being in the lawlessness territory destroys their sense/respect for law. It’s become a way of rebirth to them for a better life where they can live happily with their family and feed their child.
God bless the Gulf of Aden, God bless the Somalis. I do not know any solution to their struggle.
We have watch the box office hit movie of Jony Deb “The Pirates of Caribbean”, that was so thrilling and entertaining that we loss the big picture behind this modern days Pirates of Somali coast. What’s their story, how they raise, how they capture ships these days (on an average of 3-4 ships per day), how they manage to get away with those. This is 21st century. The ships are very much modern, above all why no one can do anything against Somali Pirates. Are they more modernized then the western. The answer is certainly not, they are not. They use only small speedboat for capturing and hijacking commercial tanker, vessels. Now they are attacking ships 400miles away from the coastline of Somalia! Can you feel their courage? They are fearless tribe.
First of all let me tell about who these pirates were, and how they become pirates. And my friends it’s not a thrilling story. It all starts from the crisis of poverty and hunger. After the fall of Siid Barre’s government in 1991, this region (the whole Somalia) never saw any development and any action of law. It was and still a region of lawlessness. The origin of the Pirates is the Somali fishermen of Gulf of Aden. Mainly you will find them in Puntland and coast of southern Somalia. As because there was no government for long time, the developed nation’s fisherman took the advantage to come to their coast to catch fishes. With their modern well equipped fish catching boats, they are unbeatable to Somali fisherman. They were saying from far South Korea fisherman comes half way around the world for fishes in this coastal region! Because who will stop them, nobody is responsible for this region. No government is working in this region, who will protect Somali fisherman? They left with extreme poverty; the whole fishing industry is almost dead by now. Another issue was dumping toxic waste in the Somali coast. I have been told that ships from all over the world comes here to dump their toxic waste in the gulf of Aden. This is again bad for the fishing industry in this region. At the beginning some fisherman forms team to smuggle the foreign ships to threaten them out of their coast. In return they got paid good ransom by ship owners. After few of these incident Somali fishermen found it an easy way of income. More fisherman starts to forms team of 6-7 person and start doing so. I have to tell you they are not all together a gang rather now hundreds of small groups. Every group sails as their own. They use Kalasnikov (AK 47) and Uzi at most. They dressed as a very simple fisherman, t- shirt and Lungi with Ak 47 in their hands. If you ask me how they got Ak 47, then I have to say it’s available everywhere in this region. I can buy one for 300USD (approx) in Borama town (where I am living now). And they know some place where it is cheaper. As the ships/tanker/other fishing boats do not keep any guns on board (I do not know why, maybe there are some international rules), Somali pirates with their small and fast speedboat quickly came on board with guns and force captain to bring his ship closer to Somali coast and force him to contact the owner of the ship or owner of transporting goods for ransom. I never heard Somali pirates to shoot and kill in action. They just keep the ship and its crews its cargo as captive and demand money. This is how they hijack modern day’s ships and becomes the Pirates of Gulf of Aden.
Now the piracy becomes very broad and good business in this region. At this time they have more than 100 ships in their captivity. Per ship they collect about half a million to more three million US dollars. And let me remind you they are getting these amounts from the ships or transporting god owners. Now these Somali pirates (most of them) are very rich peoples, they have resorts mostly in Kenya, Uganda by different names. Day by day they are becoming unstoppable. You see in the Gulf of Aden, who does not have their fleet to protect the piracy. US, French, Italian, Greeks and all the red seas Arab nations even Indians. But what can do? Nothing, yes they do not know what to do to stop.
Recently Prof. Hasan (a faculty member of the university currently I am lecturing) made a visit to Mogdishu, he told me that most of the young generation Somali are now heading towards piracy business. To them it’s an issue of get rich or die in hunger. They are desperate. They have nowhere to go. They have nothing to do with their lives. Their dream is to become rich in one day and go somewhere and start a good business and starts a brand new life, life of stability; leave the life of uncertainty poverty hunger. To them they see only two paths, one they might get killed during the action or two they could become rich. There is another 3rd option left to them is to be as they were that is to die in hunger or die in cross fire in the street, live like a dead man, no future, no hopes. Just do a math, if a team of 6 persons hijack a vessel and got paid 2 million US dollar, per person will get more than three hundred and thirty three thousand USD (333,333 USD = 2.3 core Taka) for an expense of few Ak 47 and few hours action and probably 1-3 months captivity. After that captive period they will get paid, and then imagine where will you go with that 2.3 core taka. Tell me what will you do? You can go anywhere and start any business forget the past, have a prosperous life. Most of them do like this, took the piracy as one time act. Very few of them do it professionally over and over. So, just try to visualize their mental condition and the cause behind this psychology. It is the extreme uncertainty and poverty in their life makes them so fearless and UNSTOPPABLE.
The conclusion is poverty hunger made this Somali fisherman to become unstoppable fearless pirates and the sparks of easy money made them desperate. Long time being in the lawlessness territory destroys their sense/respect for law. It’s become a way of rebirth to them for a better life where they can live happily with their family and feed their child.
God bless the Gulf of Aden, God bless the Somalis. I do not know any solution to their struggle.
N: B: I wrote down this article on pirates consulting with many Somalis I know. You can check out them by going internet. More you can find in “You Tube”, just search “K’NAAN interview on Somali Pirates”. And I did not mean to harm any nationality or talk against any nationality, not even Somalia.
