David Cameron anti-piracy operation hits a South African snag
Source: Telegraph.co.uk
By Aislinn Laing, Johannesburg
David Cameron's plans to allow British ships travelling around Africa to carry private armed guards to combat the threat of piracy have been dealt a blow after South Africa insisted they be military.
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David Cameron Armed Guards Plan
Photo: Getty Images/Telegraph
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Lindiwe Sisulu, South Africa's defence minister, told the Daily Telegraph she had already received a request from Britain and other European countries to allow ships with armed protection to pass through South African waters.
She said she would insist they were military personnel to facilitate dealings with South African marines boarding the ships to inspect them.
British military sources say the plan would be "totally unworkable" because the UK lacks the capacity to staff civilian ships with troops.
They also warned it would put Britain at risk of international diplomatic incidents such as the recent case of Italian soldiers shooting dead unarmed Indian fishermen they thought were pirates.
"Just look at what happened off India when the Italian navy got themselves into trouble," one source said. "There's no way on earth that any military personnel would be on UK-flagged ships."
Statistics show no successful pirate attack has been carried out on merchant ships with armed security.
For those without security there have been seven successful hijackings by Somali pirates this year. At present, 13 vessels are being held and 197 hostages.
Last October, Mr Cameron said the UK would authorise ships flying the British merchant navy flag to carry armed security to combat the piracy threat which, experts say, stretches south into the Mozambique Channel towards South Africa.
The new measures prompted a surge in work for private security firms – many of which are staffed by British nationals including large numbers of former service personnel. Other European countries, such as Italy and The Netherlands, have opted to use their own troops.
Miss Sisulu said that all ships passing through South African waters would be expected to do the same.
"We will specify that they need to be military personnel from these countries who have asked us for permission, who are accredited and attached to the armed forces of those countries," she said.
"It is easier for our defence forces to deal with military officers than with random private security companies."
Hundreds of British-flagged ships travel around South Africa and into the high risk piracy area to ply eastern trade routes each year, and around 40 per cent currently carry armed guards.
Niklas Rogers, the British director of maritime security firm Kenya Risk Consultants, said private operatives have considerable experience in antipiracy operations, whereas British troops would be ill-prepared for the tough conditions on merchant ships.
"We are not talking about a bunch of guys stepping off ships with fags hanging out of their mouths and guns slung over their backs," he said.
"We are talking about professionals – most of whom will be British – who are well-versed in procedure; comply with customs operations and whose weapons are locked away well before they reach land."
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said the option to provide military protection had already been looked at and ruled out. The Foreign Office said it had not yet made an official request for armed guards on its ships.
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