Puntland forces chase pirates in vain following reported hijack off Bosaso; chemical tanker evades pirates by simply display armed security team. South Korean sailors threatened because of past government actions against pirates. Suspected pirates missing at sea; Convicted Somali pirates could face US death sentence; five go on trial in Holland, whilst the health of 14 wounded pirates held in Kenyan prison worsen. EU approves 3 million Euro support for trials in Mauritius. Global piracy up by a third in first half of 2011; UK Royal Navy involved in "dangerous actions." Oman becoming a key hub for private maritime security market whilst Danish shipping company accused of neglecting six sailors held by pirates. Thailand deploys naval unit and Taiwan considers doing the same. The Pope meets relatives of pirate hostages. How the Russians have dealt with pirates in the past.
As stated in the previous weeks' report, the Southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden remain less susceptible to the Southwest monsoon affecting the Somali Basin and Arabian Sea, subsequently, two incidents were reported in each area in the past 7 days. A chemical tanker was attacked by pirates but the simple appearance of the security team was sufficient to deter the attack. Puntland forces scramble to the scene of the hijack of a livestock carrier shortly after leaving Bosaso for Dubai. The vessel is suspected to have been taken to be used as a mothership, but may be released. 14 suspected pirates, including one female in the group, were reported, by a senior Muslim cleric, to be missing in the Gulf of Aden. Recent reports state that piracy on a global scale has risen by a third in the first half of this year. More disturbingly, they have become more violent as 60 percent is attributed to Somali pirates.Greater efforts to prosecute pirates were bolstered by the grant of 3 million Euros to Mauritius by the EU Council on Tuesday. The transfer, investigation and prosecution of suspected pirates detained by EU naval forces received a welcome boost to take the burden from Kenya and the Seychelles. The potential threat to Mauritius fishing, shipping and tourism industry and development of maritime zone was cited as a reason for the move; however, a change in the law on piracy is necessary to implement the decision.
The UK's Royal Navy was at the centre of an 'unprecedented provocation' attack on the sovereignty of Somalia, specifically the territory of Warsangeli on the Somali coast of the Gulf of Aden, says Puntland local officials. It is claimed boats were launched with the intent to land on the beach.
As shipping firms seek ways to combat the scourge of piracy, Oman finds itself on the front line as newly formed private security firms based themselves in ports in the region.
Pope Benedict XVI met relatives of seafarers held hostage by pirates and urges them not to lose hope. Meanwhile, a video of Russian forces arresting pirates in 2009 has surfaced - the vessel was destroyed, but not with pirates still on board as had been mooted.
According to Puntland officials, from the Ministry for Maritime Transports, Ports and Counter-Piracy, there has been a successful attack 35 miles from Bosaso on the northern coast of Somalia. A livestock dhow with 2,000 goats destined for Dubai was hijacked by pirates with the likely intent to use the vessel as a mothership. The United Arab Emirates-owned vessel has a crew of 7 Indians and 7 Pakistanis. The Puntland forces were scrambled to the scene of the hijack of Al Nasri, but the pirates had already sailed to an unknown anchorage. It has since been reported that the vessel is likely to be released due to the fragility of the cargo being carried, reports Somalia Report.
A pirate action group attacked a Panama-flagged chemical tanker, North Fighter, in the Red Sea. Two pirate skiffs attacked the vessel on the morning of July 13, but the presence of the on board security team on the ships' bridge wing was sufficient to deter any further attack.
Fourteen suspected Somali pirates, among them a woman, have gone missing in the Gulf of Aden, a senior Muslim cleric said Saturday. According to Sheikh Abdulaah Ahmed Nour, those missing are reported to be from the coastal area of Hafuun district in Puntland and were allegedly planning to attack merchant ships en route in the Gulf of Aden. Relatives of the pirates said they last made contact with the group on June 13. Osman Abdi, whose brother is among the missing, claimed he had reported that their boat was running low on fuel and that they had twice failed in their attempted attack on cargo ships. He added that they also complained of rough seas. Quoting close relatives, the cleric said the group had earlier captured a Yemeni fishing boat with a six-member crew on board. A female pirate, reported to be named Sahra, was seen with guns two months ago while the pirates were planning a mission, but no proof was made available - see Somalia Report.
A federal grand jury late last Friday indicted three Somali men on murder, piracy and related charges in the February hijacking of a yacht Quest that left four Americans dead off the African coast. The new 26-count indictment could end with death sentences if the three men are convicted. It would be the first time in more than a century that the government would seek executions in a piracy case. The Justice Department at a later date must inform the court if the government plans to seek the death penalty, reports PilotOnline.com. The new indictment provides new details of what occurred just before the killings. The defendants had refused to negotiate until they reached Somalia, where another suspected co-conspirator, who spoke fluent English, would bargain with the Navy, according to the indictment. On Feb. 21, [one of the accused] Abrar fired a shot over the head of Scott Adam and instructed him to tell the Navy that if they came any closer they would kill the hostages, the indictment says. The next day, after the hostages were killed, some of the pirate suspects began firing at the destroyer Sterett. The Navy then stormed the yacht, killing two Somalis. They found another two already dead, apparently killed during a mutiny attempt. Twenty-two of the 26 counts in the new indictment carry a possible death sentence.
Five suspected Somali pirates went on trial in a Dutch court on Tuesday for seizing a South African yacht and face up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.
The yacht Choizil was taken off the coast of Tanzania on November 7, 2010.
One member of Choizil's crew was rescued by a European Union anti-piracy task force unit. However, two others, Bruno Pelizzari and his partner Deborah Calitz (currently with a ransom demand of $5million on their heads), were taken ashore as hostages and Dutch prosecutors believe they are still being held.
The five suspects, whose ages ranged from 20 to 30 at the time of their transfer to the Netherlands in December, are charged with piracy and sea robbery.
Assisted by interpreters, the five attended the start of the trial in Rotterdam and a verdict is expected on Aug. 13.
The Dutch prosecution department said the five Somali men were being tried under a law which gives the Netherlands international jurisdiction over piracy, a crime under international law.
The EU Council of Ministers, on Tuesday, adopted a decision approving an agreement with Mauritius concerning the transfer for investigation and prosecution of suspected pirates arrested and detained by the EU Naval Force "Operation ATALANTA" off Somalia, reports the Kuwait News Agency.
The agreement covers the conditions under which suspected pirates are handed over, and their treatment after they are transferred, said the EU in a statement.
It ensures that international law is complied with and that none is subjected to the death penalty, to torture or to any cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The agreement also covers the transfer of property seized by the EU naval forces that was used to carry out acts of piracy or armed robbery.
Reuters writes that Mauritius has secured 3 million euros ($4.25 million) from the European Union for the trial and detention of suspected Somali pirates, the Indian ocean island nation said on Thursday.
"If it (piracy) is allowed to grow at the pace it has in recent years, it could cause considerable damage to our fishing industry, to shipping, to the tourism industry and indeed to our ambition of developing the potential of our exclusive maritime zone," Finance Minister Pravind Jugnauth told reporters.
International navies trying to counter piracy off Somalia are often reluctant to take suspects to their own countries either because they lack the jurisdiction to put them on trial there or they fear the pirates may seek asylum.
Pirates arrested on the high seas are frequently returned to Somalia's lawless shores.
"Mauritius has to pass a law on piracy and ... to start implementing the assistance which will come from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC)," Alessandro Mariani, the European Union's ambassador to Mauritius, told Reuters.
Mariani said a mission from UNODC was expected in Mauritius in mid-August and by the end of September all the elements should be in place for Mauritius to be able to hold trials of suspected pirates and to jail those convicted.
The health of 14 pirates wounded by the Danish Navy during an anti-piracy operation in May is quickly deteriorating, according to a pirate who secretly spoke to Somalia Report by phone from prison.
The Danish naval ship, Esbern Snare, fired on the pirates who were attacking an Iranian dhow in the Gulf of Aden. Of the 28 pirates on the mission, 4 were killed, 14 others were wounded and 10 were unharmed. The 24 surviving pirates were transferred from Danish navy to the Kenyan authorities in Mombasa on June 19, 2011.
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Injured Pirates (Source: Somalia Report) |
The pirates are now being held at Shimo la Tewa prison in Mombasa and have complained that they are not receiving proper healthcare.
The pirate, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Somalia Report correspondent that although life is very difficult in prison, the Kenyan police have treated them fairly and have not committed any abuses or torture. Regardless, the pirates would rather be in a Somali prison More in Somalia Reports' Exclusive.
Private Security; a Growth Industry
Oman is becoming a key hub for the private maritime security market as merchant shipping firms look for ways to combat the pirate scourge that threatens approximately 70,000 ship movements every year through the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, says Indonesia Shipping Gazette (quoting the Muscat Daily). The Somali-based pirates have moved further eastwards in search of victims as international naval forces organised safe corridors of transit along the East African coastline and Gulf of Aden.
Oman now finds itself on the front line in this modern re-enactment of an ancient mariners' problem, as newly formed private security firms begin to base themselves in ports adjoining the Indian Ocean.
Somali piracy is now 'big business' - Peter Newton, a retired British sea captain, said piracy has changed since his ship was boarded in the South China Sea 25 years ago. The pirates, armed with knives and scimitars, threatened to kill him -- a threat he took seriously -- but left with a few thousand dollars from the safe. "The nature of piracy has changed," he told EUobserver. "It has now become big business for pirates. And it's absolutely risk-free for them." Giles Heimann of the shipping group Imec said the pirates have adapted to attempts to protect shipping. "When the high risk area was created in the Gulf of Aden and ships started following the set routes and naval ships were there to protect vessels, the pirates then moved from the Gulf of Aden to the North Arabian Sea, where it has now spread," he said. "Whatever we do the pirates have adapted" - UPI.com.
Piracy attacks on the world’s shipping rose by a third in the first half of this year and became increasingly violent, with pirates using machineguns, grenade launchers and other weapons, the International Maritime Bureau said on Thursday. Worldwide attacks rose to 266 in the first six months of 2011 compared with 196 in the same period last year. More than 60% were by Somali pirates, says National Post.
Bloomberg News provides further clarification that pirate attacks climbed 36 percent in the first half of the year as the number of attempts off Somalia in East Africa rose to a record.
There were 266 attacks in the period, compared with 196 a year earlier, the London-based International Maritime Bureau said in a statement.
“In the last six months, Somali pirates attacked more vessels than ever before and they’re taking higher risks,” IMB director Pottengal Mukundan said. They fired on ships for the first time during the monsoon season last month, he said.
Shipowners are improving their vessels’ security measures and a strengthened naval presence is also cutting the pirates’ success rate, the IMB said. While attacks by Somali pirates climbed to 163 from 100 a year earlier, the number of ships they hijacked fell to 21 from 27, it said.
Pirates hijacked one in eight vessels attacked in the first half, compared with one in four a year earlier, the report showed. The last hijacking took place April 30, with 44 further attempted attacks since then, the IMB said.
Somali pirates took 361 sailors hostage and kidnapped 13 in the first half. The number of violent and organized attacks off West Africa also increased, the IMB said.
Maritime piracy, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) of 1982, consists of any criminal acts of violence, detention, rape, or depredation committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or aircraft that is directed on the high seas against another ship, aircraft, or against persons or property on board a ship or aircraft.
Confusion and clouding of this definition is due to some jurisdictions identifying armed robbery aboard ship as just that. It seems that the current trend of the various counter-piracy policies is to downplay shipboard robbery and similar events to reduce the severity of these crimes in the public’s eyes in order to control insurance premiums.
The romantic thought of Brave men in Spanish galleons with sabres drawn attacking lone ships laden with treasure have given way to the reality of men in small boats chasing, catching, and boarding large cargo ships. These men are neither brave nor romantic. They are desperate, fearful and they are pirates. The most commonly covered, and “world familiar”, are the modern Somali, Malaysian, and Caribbean pirates. While some pirates are simple fishermen unhappy with commercial intrusion into their territories, many pirates are criminals seeking money to fund much larger interests.
With the recent successes in pirate attacks coupled with the international media coverage, the industry is reported to be growing exponentially. Current piracy trends seem to suggest that modern terrorist organizations are financing and providing material support to further enable pirate capability and reach. The modern terrorist realizes that they can recruit the poor and desperate to deliver their political and religious will through piracy. Drug Cartels worldwide have also started to get into the mix finding piracy as a way to finance their efforts. With terror groups entering into partnerships with drug cartels, the increased connectivity of drug cartels and piracy becomes apparent and can be seen in the waters off the coasts of countries like Burma, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Brazil, and the Caribbean Islands. Alarmingly, there have been reports in the aforementioned countries, of the presence of Mexican cartel, various piracy, and Middle Eastern and Pacific Rim terrorist elements previously only recorded in the regions they were known to exist in. This sheds light on their global networking success and the growth of their respective industries as a whole, writes Lew Knopp of Templar Titan in The Maritime Executive.
The second deployment of the Royal Thai Navy anti-piracy unit with 368 naval personnel left Thailand Tuesday (July 12) morning to join the international operations countering piracy off the coast of Somalia for a 140-day deployment in the Giulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.
Two ships assigned to the mission, HTMS Similan and HTMS Narathiwat, have sailed for the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast and are set to return to the kingdom in November.
Last year’s operations successfully protected numbers of Thai owned and flagged cargo ships from robbery as well as helped the 23-member crew of a Thai fishing vessel who were robbed and floated in a life raft in those waters. They later returned to Thailand safely - MCOT Online News.
The Taiwanese government is considering dispatching navy warships to protect long-distance fishing boats from Somali pirates, says Samuel Chen, director-general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Department of African Affairs, reported in the Taipei Times.
Referring to intergovernmental coordination meetings held to discuss an anti-piracy mechanism following an incident in which a Taiwanese skipper on a hijacked fishing boat was killed in May, Chen said that provided “technical difficulties” were resolved, navy ships could provide security for Taiwanese fishing vessels off the coast of Africa.
Chen denied politics or opposition from Beijing had been involved in the decision on whether to station a naval fleet near the Somali coast. “The [China] factor hasn’t been relevant in our thinking on measures to better protect our fishermen,” he said. The main problem in dispatching naval frigates to Somalia is one of logistics, Chen said.
Several countries have dispatched warships to the waters off Somalia, particularly along the strategic shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden, to try to deter piracy.
Despite appeals from fishermen and lawmakers to send warships, the government has been hesitant to formulate a plan. “For Taiwan, the hindrance lies in the reality that it’s not easy to anchor our warships close to the shore and get the necessary supplies because of the lack of diplomatic relations with countries nearby and the sensitive nature of warships,” an official said on condition of anonymity.
Seafarers Suffering"We will kill these four South Koreans unless their government decides to pay money for our killed colleagues,” he said. “I don’t want to name a specific amount, but South Korea’s government must contact us directly for the hostage negotiation,” said a pirate spokesman.
While pirates have been turning to increasingly violent tactics, and hostages have died during attacks or in captivity, the criminal gangs have no track record of executing captives in the case of failed ransoms, instead holding onto the vessels and seamen indefinitely or releasing them without payment. However, Haradhere has fallen into the hands of militant Islamist group al-Shabaab, and Reuters news agency recently claimed that that the extremist group, known for its violent tactics, was receiving a cut of ransom money.
The MT Gemini was taken around 180 nautical miles east of the Kenyan coastal town of Malindi on April 30 as it headed for Mombasa, according to the European Union’s anti-piracy force EU NAVFOR. 
The crew consists of four South Koreans (right; source: Somalia Report), 13 Indonesians, five Chinese and three Myanmar citizens. The vessel was carrying palm oil.
One of the hostages, calling himself Paj, told Somalia Report that while they were allowed freedom to move around the ship, were well-fed and allowed to bathe, the hostages were concerned over their safety.
"We need the Korean government to talk to these Somali pirates ... as we fear being killed in the future,” he said. Paj also called on the South Korean navy not to use force in an attempt to release the hostages.
In an addendum by the editor of Somalia Report, it was stated that "Pirate groups have been known to use the media in an attempt to force talks. The threats, as well as the possibly scripted comments from the seaman, may simply be a ploy aimed at extracting money from the South Korean government or the vessel’s owner. However, in the event the pirates are serious about their threat, Somalia Report felt it prudent to publish the story in the interests of giving the parties involved a chance to respond."
A Danish shipping company has had complaints filed against it for allegedly neglecting its duties in connection to six of its sailors who have been held hostage by Somali pirates since 12th January.
The Danish Maritime Officers’ organisation (DMO) has made the claims against Shipcraft and its CEO, claiming they have contravened safety at sea and working environment rules by not attempting to win the release of the crew. “What we need is a watchdog to make sure that companies fulfil their obligations to crews that are taken hostage, and it is in this light that the complaint has been filed,” DMO head Fritz Ganzhorn told Politiken, as reported by IceNews. He added that any company is required to make sure all crew members return home safely.
Dangerous Actions
A British warship allegedly having the commander of the Somaliland navy and some of his soldiers on board attracted serious military fire when it came close to the shore off Laasqoray, the coastal town of Warsangeliland at the Somali shores of the Gulf of Aden. Reportedly, the foreign warship launched one amphibious vessel and two commando boats with the intent to land on the beach. Local officials, observers and media reported the incident as an "unprecedented provocation" and attack on the sovereignty of Somalia and specifically of the Warsangeli territory.
Reports indicated earlier last week that a British warship had come to Somaliland’s port city of Berbera where President Ahmed Silanyo reportedly met British officials on board the vessel.
The ship is believed to be a patrol ship that is part of the "western-led" anti-piracy initiatives along the coasts of Somalia.
While neither EU NAVFOR nor the British navy reported the incident, security forces of Somalia’s breakaway region of Puntland confirmed that they had fired towards a British warship near the coast.
Naval Today says the political background is the long-standing fight between the former British colony of Somaliland in the Northwest of Somalia, which today prefers to be an independent, though internationally not recognized breakaway republic and Puntland, the federal regional state of Somalia, located to the north-east.
Papal Assurance
Pope Benedict XVI met with relatives of seamen held hostage by pirates and encouraged them not to lose hope - The Sacramento Bee.
Benedict also called for the hostages to be treated with respect during his traditional Sunday blessing, which was delivered from the courtyard of the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo, where Benedict arrived last week for the summer.
Last Sunday marked the church's world day for the sea, and Benedict used the occasion to assure victims of piracy and their families that he is praying for them.
"I hope (they) are treated with respect and humanity, and I pray for their families so they are strong in their faith and don't lose hope of soon being reunited with their loved ones," he said.
And finally...
A video showing Russian naval forces on a pirate-held fishing vessel shortly after a Russian oil tanker had been captured by pirates has caused a bit of a stir. Although the majority of conversations are in Russian, one comment is clearly in English asking the question "Why are you lying to me? This is not a fishing boat." The oil tanker and its crew are freed, with the pirates taken back to the Russian warship whilst the fishing vessel was searched for weapons and explosives. With the pirates handcuffed in custody on the warship, the fishing vessel is then sunk using explosives, however, in arguing the case for pirates being treated 'more robustly', many bloggers claim the pirates were still on the vessel at the time; something refuted by the UK's Telegraph newspaper in 2009. The video contains content that may be considered inappropriate for some, therefore, viewer discretion is advised.[Link via Blog site bloviatingzeppelin]. Hijack:
- July 13 - 35 miles off Bosaso, northern Somali coast, a UAE-owned dhow, Al Nasri, with a crew of 14 (7 Indian; 7 Pakistani) carrying a cargo of 2,000 goats destined for Dubai. Puntland forces gave chase but the vessel had departed to an unknown anchorage. According to Indian and Pakistani diplomats in Nairobi, Kenya, it is likely the dhow will be released due to the fragility of the livestock cargo.
1 Unsuccessful Attack:
- July 13 at 0717 UTC, in position 12:44N – 043:18E: around 36nm Southeast of Assab in Eritrea, in the Red Sea. Two pirate skiffs chased a Panama-flagged chemical tanker, North Fighter, underway. The Master and crew were mustered with the security team were deployed to the bridge wings. On sighting the security team the pirates aborted any further attack.
Suspect Activity:
- NATO Shipping Centre states 5 suspicious events and two approaches occurred in the region. Two of the events were reported in the southern Red Sea and Bab al Mandeb Strait. One suspicious event occurred in the Gulf of Aden, however, no alerts were issued in the main.
- Sporadic acts of piracy may potentially occur at any time in the Gulf of Aden area as the weather conditions in the Arabian Sea and northern Somali Basin preclude the operations of pirate skiffs, however, the pirates remain willing to venture out for further operations.
- The Red Sea and Bab al Mandeb Strait remain areas of high threat with one PAG still operating in the area.
- The pirate-held fishing vessel, FV Shiuh Fu No.1, has been observed anchored off Hobyo after an unsuccessful stint of mothership operations.
At least 20 ships and approximately 419 seafarers (plus an additional 2,000 goats) remain captives of Somali pirates.
Vessels are reminded that the coalition forces' warships may not be in the vicinity of a pirate attack, subsequently, it is emphasised that seafarers can greatly reduce their chances of being pirated if they follow precautions as recommended in the Best Management Practices, increasing speed and carrying out evasive manoeuvres is a proven deterrent to piracy attacks. BMP version 4 is expected to be released, including a DVD, later this month.
Vessels are advised to exercise extreme caution when navigating in the vicinity of any reported positions of attacks and maintain maximum CPA with any ship acting suspiciously. Additionally, registration of vessel movement with MSC(HOA) prior to transiting the region is recommended.
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Any suspicious activity should be reported to UKMTO in Dubai in the first instance (UKMTO or Telephone+971 50 552 3215) and on entering the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) bound by Suez, 78E and 10S.
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