Weekly Piracy Report

A brief hiatus. Poor weather deterrent as minimal attacks occur. Motherships prepared. UK involvement in Somalia increases, including a new Ambassador, as conference nears. Seychelles shoulders the burden, again as campaign seeks greater prosecutions. Iran thwarts Gulf of Aden attack. Nigeria spends heavily on maritime security.  Private security united front; Philippines allows armed guards. Russia, NATO & EU Navy exercise together; GCC countries cooperate, as India, China & Japan do the same. Threat to global supply chain discussed. Military operations on foreign soil questioned.

Hiatus. The dramatic month of January ends quietly as the poor weather conditions deter pirate activity at sea. Undoubtedly, the pirate gangs are regrouping and considering how to restock the supply of ships, whilst keeping out of range of any rescue operations by CP forces.

The two dhows hijacked in January, which were not widely reported, have now been classified as motherships ready to commence operations. However, a fishing vessel used as a mothership has been reported to have sunk.

The recent uncertainty over the prosecution of suspect pirates detained by UK and Danish naval forces has received some clarity. The Seychelles, despite the crowded prison and courts, has taken 14 suspects from the Royal Navy, but only four of the 25 held by the Danish warship. This situation highlights the ongoing problem of providing appropriate judiciary in the region. The call for a new international system to make it easier to bring pirates to justice is made by the UAE, and at a conference an IMO official said, "There is no international law against conspiracy to conduct acts of piracy … if they're not caught in the act, then it's actually very difficult to prosecute." The UK may put on trial and jail Somali pirates in the UK if its citizens are attacked at sea, but the government's priority is to help Somalia boost its inadequate prison capacity, as discussed in Parliament this week. The Save Our Seafarer campaign argues that continuing over-reliance on regional prosecution is putting massive pressure on the judicial systems in Somalia's neighbouring countries, already overburdened with piracy cases.

The UK, in the lead up to the London Conference on Somalia, continues to be at the forefront of efforts to improve international co-operation and commitment, including the appointment of its first ambassador to Somalia for 21 years. Russian, NATO and EU naval vessels have been involved in coordinated exercises in the region. India, China and Japan have also started to co-operate. Meanwhile, the GCC countries are combining efforts to protect their territorial waters and sea lines of communication.

An Iranian warship has been reported to have thwarted an attack on an oil tanker Southeast of the Gulf of Aden. In spite of the multi-national co-operation in the region, reporting of pirate incidents from the Iranian forces remains a glaring omission.

Nigeria last year spent about N2.6 billion, around $16 million, to provide security for the waterways of Cotonou, the Benin Republic capital, stating it is a development that has so far checkmated the activities of pirates around the area.

SAMI begins its accreditation programme to provide a unified front for the Private Maritime Security industry whilst the Philippines has given Manila-flagged merchant vessels the go-ahead to deploy private security groups to minimize the risk Filipino seafarers face from Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, raised the issue of supply chain risk through piracy. It was claimed that international law needs to be updated to decide jurisdictions and military responsibility, among other issues.

The recent rescue of aid workers held hostage by 'land-pirates' continues to stimulate debate. Can you commit piracy on dry land? Not as it's defined in international law it is said.

Regional Activity  

East Africa

Somalia Report says that pirate sources report the hijacked fishing vessel, Aride, taken in October 2011, was sunk by monsoon waves. The engine has been removed with the intention to use it in another vessel. The two crew members are being held on land with a ransom demand of $4.7 million being demanded.

An attempt by the Somali pirates to hijack an oil tanker was thwarted after the Iranian Navy fleet deployed in the Gulf of Aden thwarted the attack with timely action, reports FARS News.

Iranian Naval Forces (Photo: FARS News)

"An oil tanker was attacked by pirates 35 miles Southeast of the Gulf of Aden," Lieutenant Commander of the Iranian Navy Rear Admiral Seyed Mahmoud Moussavi said on Tuesday.
After the Iranian Navy forces entered the scene, the unknown boats fled the area and the oil tanker was saved unharmed, he added.
The Iranian Navy dispatched its 18th flotilla of warships to the Gulf of Aden on January 21 to protect the country's cargo ships and oil tankers against Somali pirates.
The Iranian Navy has been conducting anti-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden since November 2008, when Somali raiders hijacked the Iranian-chartered cargo ship, MV Delight, off the coast of Yemen.
According to UN Security Council resolutions, different countries can send their warships to the Gulf of Aden and coastal waters of Somalia against the pirates and even with prior notice to Somali government enter the territorial waters of that country in pursuit of Somali sea pirates.
The Gulf of Aden - which links the Indian Ocean with the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea - is an important energy corridor, particularly because Persian Gulf oil is shipped to the West through the Suez Canal.

William Hague has hailed a historic opportunity to end piracy and terrorism in Somalia after a landmark visit to the war-torn nation, writes the Telegraph.

UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague

"I came away confident that there is an opportunity for the world to help Somalis achieve the better future they deserve," said Mr Hague, the first British foreign secretary to visit the anarchic nation for two decades.

"Recent political and security gains in Somalia mean there is a historic opportunity to turn a corner in the country and to lay the foundations for greater stability in the long-term," he said.

Britain considers Somalia a direct threat to its security. There are fears that British nationals have joined the al Qaeda-linked Shabaab insurgents who are fighting to topple the weak Western-backed government in Mogadishu.

Pirates in central and northern Somalia have also kidnapped Britons, holding them and other foreigners hostage for ransom.

"We need more effective action to disrupt the terrorism and piracy which are such a serious threat to international security and the lives of people, including British nationals," Mr Hague said. Read more.

 

Brits were warned millions of pounds must be pumped into strife-torn Somalia to avert catastrophe, says The Sun.
The grim alternative to the highly controversial aid could be to send troops into a new war costing BILLIONS.

Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell delivered the stark warning — as he revealed plans for a small team of UK military planners to work in the country's capital Mogadishu.

Their mission to help African peacekeepers will not involve combat. It comes as Somalia is expected to replace Afghanistan as Britain's top overseas priority once operations against the Taliban end in 2015.

Mr Mitchell — talking to The Sun on a peril-packed trip to the nation's bandit country — explained why the Coalition's bitterly contested hike in aid spending is vital.

He said: "Somalia is on the same curve as Afghanistan was. There are more British passport holders engaged in terrorist training in Somalia than in any other country in the world.

"If we ignore Somalia then it will continue on its spiral, destabilising the region and exporting terrorism, piracy, drugs, people and disease." He added: "It is a quarter of the cost to deal with these problems now rather than to send in the troops."

West Africa

Nigeria last year spent about N2.6 billion to provide security for the waterways of Cotonou, the Benin Republic capital, a development that has so far checkmated the activities of pirates around the area, reports Vanuguard Nigeria.

Disclosing this to Vanguard recently in Lagos, Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Maritime affairs, Mr. Leke Oyewole, said that the Nigerian government had to ensure that the waterways of Benin Republic are secured because of the understanding between both countries.

Oyewole noted that since the issue was decisively dealt with in that region, there has been some relative peace in that axis. The amount, according to Oyewole, was spent within the first six months of the operation of the project

the maritime expert stated that Nigeria is doing this in line with the bilateral agreement between both countries.
He stated that the move by Nigeria to assist a neighbouring country has gotten her commendations from the Economic Community of the West African States (ECOWAS) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

He further disclosed that at a point the President of Benin Republic Mr. Yayi Boni came to President Jonathan to solicit for help on the menace of pirates of Cotonou waters. “Immediately after the complained, the Nigerian President swung into and sent men and materials to the country to quell the menace of pirates in that country.

According the Special Adviser, the Nigerian Navy is currently providing security for off shore operations of the Republic of Benin adding that Nigeria as a country is looking for a way of involving other countries in the West African coast and form a regional body for the purpose of security and safety on the entire West African coastline.

He also disclosed that several meetings have been held to work out the possibility and modality and that a platform to create this regional collaboration is in the making. “Already, the European Union, the United Nations and France are very interested in what Nigeria has done in Cotonou and they have shown a lot of interest”.

Pirates in Court  

A group of pirates caught by a Royal Navy operation in the Indian Ocean will face justice in the Seychelles - Royal Navy.

Pirates Facing Justice in Syechelles (Phot: RN)

RFA Fort Victoria – part of NATO’s counter piracy task force Operation Ocean Shield – has handed over 14 suspects to the islands’ authorities for prosecution.

The fourteen Somalis were captured on January 13 by Royal Navy and Royal Marines personnel embarked on RFA Fort Victoria.

The suspected pirates, who were known to have been operating in the Indian Ocean, were intercepted on board a hijacked Yemeni fishing dhow.

They were found to have a variety of pirate paraphernalia and weapons on board, including rocket-propelled grenades and hand-grenades.

This is the culmination of four months of operations for the UK Counter-Piracy Task Group based on Fort Victoria and under the command of Captain Gerry Northwood.

“This has been a long four months of intensive counter-piracy operations during which time we have captured more than 30 pirates for prosecution and rescued 44 merchant mariners from the hands of the pirates.

“This success has been echoed by other NATO units engaged in counter-piracy operations and the handover of these 14 suspected pirates to the Seychelles authorities will contribute to ensuring the waters of the Indian Ocean become a safer place for all mariners.”

Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “We are very grateful to the Seychelles for their agreement to prosecute these suspected pirates. Their commitment to the fight against piracy has helped avoid a situation where these individuals were not held to account for their actions.

“In a few weeks time the London Conference on Somalia will discuss how the international community can tackle the many problems faced by Somalia, including piracy.

"Today’s agreement on the transfer of alleged pirates demonstrates what can be achieved through international co-operation and commitment.”

Danish ship HDMS Absalon, another NATO ship conducting counter piracy operations in the Indian ocean was also in the Seychelles, handing over four suspected pirates to the Seychelles authorities.

A legal fog over who should prosecute pirates is leading to offenders being disarmed and set free, a maritime security conference has heard, says The National.

Countries are detaining an increasing number of pirates but confusion arises over which nation's laws, if any, apply, experts said at the three-day Maritime Security and Surveillance conference, which began yesterday at the Armed Forces Officers Club.

Chris Trelawny of IMO (Photo: The National)

Fifteen pirates captured by the US at the start of this month have yet to find a country whose courts will conduct their trial.

And about 100 pirates captured by India over the past year face indefinite detention until a law is created under which to prosecute them.

The Indian government last year ordered its navy to stop capturing pirates, and instead to confiscate their weapons and let them go.

Other naval forces conducting counter-piracy patrols in high-risk areas, including the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea and parts of the Indian Ocean, also follow this practice of "capture and release".

Often they have not caught the pirates in the act and so do not have sufficient grounds to detain them.

"There is no international law against conspiracy to conduct acts of piracy … if they're not caught in the act, then it's actually very difficult to prosecute," said Chris Trelawny, the deputy director of the maritime safety division of the International Maritime Organization, which has about 160 member states.

"So a lot of pirates, their equipment is being taken off them and they are being sent back to Somalia. It's not particularly satisfactory but it's a pragmatic reality."

In other situations, the many nationalities represented on a ship - the flag state to which the ship belongs, and the nationalities of the shipowner and cargo owner - make it difficult to work out whose laws should be followed.

Navies also tend to refrain from action if they cannot guarantee the safety of the crew being held. India halted its aggressive tack towards pirates last year after they began punishing Indian hostages in retaliation.

Last April, seven of 15 Indian seafarers on the UAE-owned MV Asphalt Venture were held in Somalia even after the ship was released, in response to the Indian navy's arrest of pirates. It marked the first time hostages had been held back after a ransom had been paid.

"They harmed them because they were Indian," said Commodore Ranjit Rai, the former director of operations for the Indian navy and the vice president of the Indian Maritime Foundation, which assists relatives of kidnapped seafarers.

The Maritime Security and Surveillance Conference was organised with the support of the Higher Committee for UAE Civil Seaports and Airports Security.

Conference delegates from the UAE, United Kingdom, United States, India and GCC countries convened to discuss ways to maximise coastal security, combat piracy and other crimes at sea, and improve port security.

Seychelles accept is to take some of the pirates off the hands off Absalon, that took them prisoner on January 7, comments Danish Maritime Magazine.

Seychelles has accepted four of a total of 25 pirates who have been in captivity on the Danish warship Absalon.

"We continue efforts to assign the remaining 21 suspected pirates on board Absalon, to other countries in the region aiming for prosecution," said Foreign Minister Sovndal (SF) in a written statement.

According to a headline in the UK newspaper, The Sun, prisoners grasp the bars of a hell-hole jail cell — a stark warning of the fate that awaits Somalia's notorious pirates.

The strife-torn East African country is finally winning the battle against the seaborne hijackers who shame its name.

The Sun yesterday saw the grim prison where 17 suspected pirates are among 75 captives jammed into a cell built for four.

Murderers and al Shabaab terrorists also endure 24 hours a day in a sweltering, dark cage with no basic sanitation. Any prisoner rattling the cell's single door has his hands bashed by hosepipe-wielding guards.

The jail in the town of Garowe shows how justice is dealt out in Puntland, a semi-autonomous area of northern Somalia free from fanatical Islamic control. Some of the £69million annual British aid to Somalia goes on combating the pirates. But Puntland's planning minister Abdulkadir Abki Hashi defended the harsh prison regime.

He said: "What's the alternative? You want us to release them? We don't have the money to incarcerate them in space that is conducive for the human rights ideal, so we do what we must to stop them hijacking more ships. "Piracy is a crime, we take it very seriously. It is very embarrassing for us to have pirates so we are determined to catch them."

British aid to Puntland has paid for the training of detectives, lawyers and judges to deal with the pirate scourge.

There are now 35 legal officials in Garowe — up from just seven a year ago. And some of the cash will go to a bigger prison with better conditions. About 1,000 Somali pirates are now in jails in 20 countries around the Horn of Africa. Ten ships and 247 hostages are still being held for ransom — down from 26 ships a year ago.

Warships from around the globe have joined the Royal Navy in patrolling the waters off Somalia's 1,000 miles of coastline. But the success against piracy has seen an alarming increase in the number of Western aid workers, journalists and tourists kidnapped on land.

The UAE assistant minister of security has backed calls for a new international system to make it easier to bring pirates to justice - The National.

Faris Al Mazrouei, the assistant minister for security and military affairs at the ministry of foreign affairs, said at today's meeting of a six-nation Contact Group that he hoped a programme could be agreed on, to help Somalia improve its justice system.

He told the meeting of senior security officials from Italy, the US, Denmark, UK, Egypt, and Netherlands that "as a maritime nation, the UAE is united in its concern at the threat of piracy off the coast of Somalia".

Representatives are expected to present and discuss recent developments in their anti-piracy efforts.

Mr Al Mazrouei said the UAE's priorities were in the fields of public awareness and outreach, increasing "compassionate" support to Somalia, enhancing the region's capacity to respond to piracy, and highlighting the role of education in countering piracy. "We want to spread understanding of the issue and the challenges of responding," he said. "So we can all work together towards solving this problem."

The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) was created in New York two years ago following a UN Security Council resolution.

An extract of House of Commons questions on International Development concerning, amongst others, Somalia:

Mr Gregory Campbell (East Londonderry) (DUP): In recent years, there have been problems off the Somali coast for travellers, although progress has been made in recent months on that issue. Will the Secretary of State assure the House that liaison will continue internationally to ensure that people can travel across that part of Africa in safety?

Mr Mitchell: One of the problems is that of piracy. In Puntland, I was able to see the importance of tackling piracy by arresting pirates and putting them through the judicial system, as well as the other measures that, given some stability, the international community would be able to use to tackle the problem directly. We hope that this subject will also be addressed at the London conference - UK PArliament.

The anti-piracy patrol off Somalia has captured and prosecuted about 800 pirates so far. But more than five times that number have been captured and released. More prisons are being built in Somaliland and Puntland, but these must be paid for and supervised by Western nations if they are to be effective. The key problem is that most nations contributing ships to the anti-piracy patrol are not willing to prosecute and imprison Somali pirates. This led to the "catch and release" method used by most European navies, mainly because the legal systems back home make it difficult for the pirates to be prosecuted, and easy for the pirates to claim asylum if brought back - Strategy Page.

Kenya is being paid, by Western nations, to try and jail Somali pirates, but always wants more money. It's a shakedown, as Kenya is getting a lot of money for this, and much of it is being stolen by Kenyan politicians. Corruption is rampant in the region, with Somalia considered the most corrupt nation on the planet, with Kenya catching up fast.

The Seychelles (a small island nation in the Indian Ocean) is also prosecuting and jailing some Somali pirates, but is far smaller than Kenya (which has about 200 pirates among the 53,000 convicts in its prisons and jails). So most of the pirates arrested are simply disarmed and let go. This happens because Western nations, because of their vague laws on piracy, cannot prosecute them, and Kenya and Seychelles has limited capacity to do so. Somaliland and Puntland will also prosecute, if expenses are covered by Western nations. But because there are not enough jail cells available in Somaliland and Puntland, few prosecutions are possible. More prisons are being built, but this takes time. About half the imprisoned pirates are in Somaliland and Puntland.

Thus the judicial system is not providing much of deterrent to would-be pirates, and getting captured means, in most cases, losing your weapons and being taken back to Somalia and left on a beach.

Group launches campaign to try captured Somali Pirates in the West - International anti-Somali piracy campaign SOS SaveOurSeafarers has started a campaign urging Western governments to consider trying suspected Somali Pirates in their own countries, to ensure that they face prosecution and ultimately conviction rather than simply being released - Afrique en ligne.

The SOS campaign argues that continuing over-reliance on regional prosecution is putting massive pressure on the judicial systems in Somalia's neighbouring countries, already overburdened with piracy cases.

The organization said in a statement obtained by PANA here that not enough countries, especially those with interests in shipping, are looking to actively contribute to the fight to counter Somali piracy, although the last few months have seen more determined naval action against Somali pirates by those countries participating in the naval presence in the region, which the shipping industry applauds.

Recent successful naval action in the Indian Ocean has resulted in 46 suspected Somali pirates being captured.

Some have gone to Spain for trial, others will go to a reluctant Seychelles, but the majority are still awaiting the decision to prosecute or release. Read more.

Private Security  

The Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI) today launched its eagerly awaited International Accreditation Programme for Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCs) - Shiptalk.

The SAMI Accreditation Programme will see maritime security providers, within the Association’s membership undergo a 3-stage process of due diligence, systems checks and site visits. The programme will be managed by SAMI, with accreditations performed by an independent third party certification body, the National Security Inspectorate (NSI).

Work on developing the standards and accreditation programme has been ongoing for the past eight months. Further developing the guidelines laid down by industry and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the programme will assess the capabilities, experience, corporate standing and resources of PMSCs.

According to SAMI founder, Peter Cook, “It has been no mean feat to forge a united front from an industry which has always followed its own path. We are pleased and proud to announce the launch of what we believe to be a rigorous and significant means of assessing global maritime security providers”.

The question whether to use private maritime security companies against pirates has opened a rift between the German government and owners’ association VDR, which has threatened to register ships outside the country unless there is swift legal change - Intermanager .

“Over the next two weeks, we should see a detailed proposal on how to change the trade law,” VDR general secretary Ralf Nagel told a German paper. “Otherwise, German owners have no option but to fly a different flag when sailing through pirate-infested waters.”

Maritime co-ordinator Hans-Joachim Otto said a draft bill would be presented over the next few weeks, but was vague about the law-making process.

“The federal government is entering uncharted waters with this. Such a complex undertaking needs careful preparation,” he said.

Having initially opposed private armed forces and hoping to deploy sovereign forces to protect their vessels, owners made a U-turn last year when it became obvious that state support would not be forthcoming.

Since then, owners have been pressing for urgent amendments to laws governing the use of private companies, in line with international regulations. In particular, they want to clarify how security firms will be certified for service on board. But the process has already taken much longer than expected.

Mr Otto hit back at the owners, pointing out that most of their ships already fly foreign flags. “Given that most pirate attacks take place against German ships under foreign flags, Mr Nagel’s comment on the necessity to flag out is completely baffling,” he said.

The German flag has seen an exodus over recent years, due to the poor financial state of many shipping companies. However, the EU is pressing for an increase in domestic or EU-flagged vessels in return for the tonnage tax regime to be maintained.

This development raises further question over Mr Nagel’s remarks.

A recent report on sea piracy was greeted with nearly unanimous acclaim, with headlines proclaiming that commercial cargo ships had faced fewer attacks in 2011 than in the previous year. It was the first decline in five years, the International Maritime Bureau said in its annual survey, according to the NY Times Blog.

So, are the high seas safer?

Not necessarily, according to shipping industry experts who said that assessing the state of piracy is a fluid and complicated task. Indeed, insurance claims from pirate attacks have gone up, the analysts said, and in some areas crews are now facing a more violent type of pirate.

“You can never say one way or another whether it is safer,” said Neil Roberts, a London-based marine insurance underwriting specialist for Lloyd’s Market Association. “There’s always some areas that are going up in the attacks they face, while others are going down.”

The maritime bureau said the total number of attacks in 2011 fell to 439, just six fewer than the previous year. (The figures include both attempted and actual robberies and hijackings.) The number of crew members taken hostage also fell last year.

Some anti-piracy measures clearly are working. International naval patrols have intensified, effectively creating safety corridors in areas such as the Gulf of Aden. The patrols are forcing many pirates to increasingly turn to kidnappings on land, as my colleagues Jeffrey Gettleman, Eric Schmitt and Thom Shanker noted in their report on last week’s rescue of an American woman and a Danish man who were being held hostage by Somali pirates.

New changes aboard commercial ships also could help deter pirates. Many vessels are moving to create “citadels,” or safe rooms, said Arthur Bowring, managing director of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association. These chambers, walled off from invaders, allow the crew to maintain control of the ship’s communication and navigation.

Employing armed security teams aboard ships — a move long resisted by shipping companies due to liability concerns — also has been growing in acceptance, Mr. Bowring said.

Still, most experts are not yet ready to say a corner has been turned. Andrew Brooker, director at FP Marine Risks, a Hong Kong-based marine insurance firm, said piracy issues still occupy half his time. Read more.

The Philippines has given Manila-flagged merchant vessels the go-ahead to deploy private security groups to minimize the risk Filipino seafarers face from Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

The move, however, is “subject to Philippine shipping companies” adherence to strict guidelines promulgated by the Maritime Industry Authority and the International Maritime Organization,” the DFA said Monday.

“In their participation at meetings to combat piracy in the IMO, the United Nations and other fora, Philippine government officials have been advocating the importance of promoting the safety of Filipino seamen. This advocacy is being supported by other governments,” it also said.

A total of 26 Filipino seamen on board three foreign-flagged vessels are still being held by pirates in east Africa.

“The longest one in detention is a crew member of the MV Iceberg 1, which was hijacked by pirates on Jan. 29, 2010 off the Port of Aden in Yemen,” the DFA disclosed.

Between 2006 and 2011, a total of 769 sailors from the Philippines were seized by pirates operating in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. It is believed that all but the 26 were released unharmed and upon payment by their principals of ransom.

Earlier this month, the DFA said the government had come up with a plan to protect Filipino sailors from Somali pirates.

The plan calls for, among other measures, the adoption of what the merchant shipping industry refers to as “best management practices,” DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez had said.

These practices–or ship protection measures–include watch and lookout arrangements, installing anti-piracy alarms and razor wire around the vessels, using water cannons that blast steam and hot water as deterrents, and wearing night vision optics.

The government is “also making arrangements with ships’ foreign principals and local manning agencies to travel along a safe corridor” in shipping routes, Hernandez told the Global Nation Inquirer.

The Philippines is a member of the 70-nation Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, which also includes the United States, China, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom, among other countries.

The group has “facilitated the operational coordination of an unprecedented international naval effort from more than 30 countries working together to protect transiting vessels; worked to build the capacity of Somalia and other countries in east Africa to combat piracy; and launched a new working group aimed at disrupting the pirate enterprise ashore, including its financial network through approaches similar to those used to address other types of organized transnational crime networks,” said a US State Department report posted on the website of the US Embassy in Manila. Read more.

International Response   

Britain appointed its first ambassador to Somalia for 21 years on Thursday during a visit to the capital of the anarchic Horn of Africa nation by Foreign Secretary William Hague - Telegraph.

UK Foreign Secretary, William Hague in Mogadishu (Telegraph)

It was the first visit to Mogadishu by a British foreign minister since 1992 and comes ahead of a conference in London this month to discuss measures to tackle instability in Somalia and piracy off its shores.

Britain's new envoy to Somalia, Matt Baugh, will remain based in Kenya's capital Nairobi until security conditions permit the opening of an embassy in Mogadishu.

Somalia descended into chaos after dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991 and a Western-backed transition government has been battling local al Qaeda-linked insurgents al-Shabaab for the past five years.

At the moment, there are six diplomatic missions in Mogadishu, representing Djibouti, Ethiopia, Libya, Sudan, Turkey and Yemen. The UN's special envoy to Somalia also moved to Mogadishu last month.

An African Union force (AMISOM) in Mogadishu has helped drive al-Shabaab out of the capital, but much of the south of remains in the hands of the rebels. Kenya and Ethiopia have both sent forces into Somalia to battle al-Shabaab.

Hague's visit came as Kenyan and Somali troops seized two towns in southern Somalia from al-Shabaab in a bid to consolidate control of border areas, a Kenyan military spokesman said, ahead of an eventual push on rebel strongholds. Read more.

It was interesting to note William Hague using his social media presence to raise the profile of his visit and British foreign policy. He states in a 'Tweet' "I'm visiting Kenya & Somalia. Do you have a question for me on British #foreignpolicy in Africa? Use #askFS and I'll answer on Monday". His Twitter name is @WilliamJHague if you wish to follow or ask him a question.

A newly formed team at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is hoping to give its campaign against piracy a fresh direction by helping the failed state of Somalia to recover - Intermanager.

One of the first moves of secretary-general Koji Sekimizu was to appoint Hartmut Hesse as special representative for maritime security and antipiracy programmes. Working along with Hesse is Maritime Safety Division deputy director Chris Trelawny.

Hesse’s newly created role was made to take forward the work of last year’s successful IMO campaign “Piracy, Orchestrating the Response”, which was the brainchild of former secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos.

Hesse said: “The secretary-general took the step because if we are to continue the [antipiracy] exercise the country [Somalia] primarily needs more resources and his main idea is to add another layer to the high-level work we have been doing within the United Nations system.”

Hesse points out that last year much of the IMO’s work was directed toward defending ships at sea through such initiatives as establishing guidelines on security guards and self-defence measures and working with the navy. But he admited: “We are coming to the point where we cannot do much more at sea.” Instead the IMO is more focussed on developing land capabilities to counter piracy.

A key vehicle for developing the IMO’s initiative rests with the Djibouti Code of Conduct, an agreement between West African and Red Sea states on stopping piracy.

The IMO has helped develop coastguard capabilities and has worked with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on developing a judicial and penal system for Somalia’s neighbouring states to prosecute pirates. The next move is to make similar efforts in Somalia itself.

Hesse said: “We now realise much more needs to be implemented and we want to put the focus on Somalia.”

The Russian navy has held joint exercises with NATO and EU warships in the Gulf of Aden, states Voice of Russia.

Admiral Tributs (Phot: Ria Novosti)

The drills featured the Admiral Tributs anti-submarine destroyer of the Russian Pacific Fleet, which has been ensuring security of merchant vessels off the Somalia coast, as well as Turkish frigate TCG Giresun, Spain’s SPS Patino and USS Halsey.

Russian and NATO navy officials had a meeting to discuss cooperation as part of an anti-piracy campaign in the Gulf of Aden.

A senior official in the UK Government visited Puntland State, marking the first time a British minister has visited the stable state in northern Somalia, Radio Garowe reports, according to Garowe Online.

UK Development Minister Andrew Mitchell and his delegation arrived Monday morning at the airport in Garowe, capital of Puntland State. Minister Mitchell was received at the airport by Puntland officials, including Finance Minister Farah Ali Jama, Education Minister Abdi Farah Juha, Environment Minister Abdigani Yusuf Elmi, and State Minister for International Cooperation Abdulkadir Abdi Hashi.

UK Minister Andrew Mitchell (Phot: Garowe Online)

The UK Minister's delegation was ushered to the State House in Garowe, where he held a closed-door meeting with Puntland Vice President and Acting President, Gen. Abdisamad Ali Shire. Puntland's leader, Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed Farole, is currently on a visit overseas in the United Arab Emirates.

Vice President Shire and Minister Mitchell held a joint press conference at the State House, before the UK Development Minister conducted a tour of key areas in Garowe.

"We discussed a range of issues, including UK support to Puntland, national security and anti-piracy efforts, and the upcoming London conference," said Puntland's Vice President at the press conference.

Minister Mitchell said he was happy to be the "first British Minister to visit Puntland ever," adding: "I had an excellent meeting with the Vice President. We discussed how to tackle piracy, the importance of the Roadmap, and the upcoming London Conference."

The Minister stated that he traveled to Puntland to assess the situation on the ground and how UK aid is affecting livelihoods in Puntland. Read more.

Amid China's increased foray into the picturesque Indian Ocean archipelago nation, Seychelles has assured India that it remains its key developmental partner and sought to to intensify bilateral anti-piracy cooperation, reports Times of India.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks Thursday with Seychelles President James Alex Michel, who is here for the Delhi Sustainable Development Summit, that focused on security issues, piracy and ways to expand developmental cooperation between the two countries.
"Both leaders reaffirmed their close and abiding relationship and India was acknowledged as the main development partner for the Seychelles," the external affairs ministry said here Thursday.

"The two leaders also discussed issues relating to piracy and its consequent impact on security, tourism and fisheries," the ministry said.
Michel expressed his gratitude for India's support for Seychelles development and in the fight against piracy.

"Both sides agreed to continue their close cooperation and keep abreast of new developments in the region," said the ministry.
Michel is understood to have briefed Manmohan Singh about new developments, including the context in which Seychelles last year offered China its harbour for use to refuel and stocking of Chinese warships stationed in the Gulf of Aden for anti-piracy operations.

This set the alarm bells ringing in New Delhi, but Beijing later clarified that it will not be a military base, but just a refuelling and supply facility.
Defence cooperation between India and Seychelles, the strategically-located island state, has been growing.

Last year, the Indian Navy deployed a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft in the Seychelles for conducting anti-piracy operations in the Indian Ocean Region. The aircraft, stationed at Seychelles' capital Victoria, would be operated by a Indian Navy crew on anti-piracy patrol duties in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).

Seychelles was one of the nations that joined the ambitious Pan African e-Network Project in its first phase, inaugurated in February 2009. The project seeks to bridge the digital divide in the 54-nation continent and bring tele-medicine and tele-education to Africans.

Faced with persistent threats from pirates operating off the coast of Somalia, uneasy neighbours India and China have started cooperating with each other, roping in Japan to tackle piracy - Tribune India.

This is the first working relationship on the high seas between the Indian Navy and China’s People Liberation Army (Navy). The two armies have so far worked under an agreement to patrol land borders and also follow a protocol when faced with each other on the disputed Line of Actual Control. “The Naval arrangement started a month ago and has provided more safety and better utilisation of resources. It is a working-level meeting (on the high seas) to ensure effective communication and operations,” said Rear Admiral Monty Khanna, Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (foreign cooperation and intelligence).

Warships from India, China and Japan have been deployed independently. Their role is conducting independent anti-piracy patrols in the internationally recognised transit corridor — a 480 nautical mile (approx 890 km) long area in the Gulf of Aden. The 92-km wide corridor starts at the confluence of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden and extends eastwards towards the Arabian Sea.

The three have so far not been part of the Combined Task Force-151, essentially a NATO-led force for anti-piracy, and nor are they part of the Eunavfor, another grouping of European countries along similar lines. Merchant ship operators have been keen that nations like India, China and Japan that are not part of the big groupings and operate independently, should cooperate among themselves as their standalone warships would then be of greater help in tackling piracy.

India has a warship on duty in the transit corridor since October 2008. China has two warships and a fleet tanker that replenishes supplies while the Japanese also have two warships along with a maritime reconnaissance plane based in Djibouti, close to Somalia.

In a demonstration of its growing military power, China is increasingly willing to deploy its armed forces to protect Chinese nationals abroad, but analysts say it still lacks the capacity to mount a complex hostage rescue - Reuters.

A crisis in Sudan where 29 Chinese workers are being held captive has renewed pressure on Beijing to provide security for more than 800,000 citizens employed overseas, particularly in resource rich but unstable nations where China has become a major investor.

Expectations that China could intervene in a distant crisis were raised last year when the People's Liberation Army won domestic acclaim for its role in the rescue of almost 36,000 workers from Libya in the midst of that country's civil war.

After more than two decades of double-digit increases in defense spending, this was widely seen as evidence of the PLA's growing capacity to conduct complex, maritime operations far from home.

Beijing's move in December to deploy armed border police on joint patrols of the Mekong River following the murder of 13 Chinese nationals in an attack on cargo shipping was also seen as part of this trend.

However, the Chinese military would be unwilling to attempt the kind of daring rescue that U.S. Navy Seals mounted last month in freeing an American aid worker and a Danish colleague from Somali gunmen, according to experts on the Chinese military.

"China does not have the intelligence network, it does not have the political will and it does not have the military capability to conduct operations of that kind of audacity," says Gary Li, a London-based intelligence and military analyst with Exclusive Analysis, a business intelligence agency.

Maritime security in the Gulf region has become a concern today more than ever before which is why the GCC countries are combining efforts to protect their territorial waters and sea lines of communication - Gulf News.

"Now the threat is coming from the maritime sector," said Lieutenant Commander Mubarak A. Al Sabah, Chief of Maritime Operations at the Kuwait Coast Guard, to Gulf News in an interview yesterday.

"We are trying our best to secure the Arabian Gulf from terrorist activity, drug trafficking and piracy."
Recently, Iran announced that it would block the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Arabian Gulf with the Arabian Sea if sanctions are imposed on its oil exports. The European Union announced in January that it would ban oil imports from Iran starting from July 1 to put pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.

There is a plan in the works to establish a central computer-based program for a comprehensive overlapping surveillance system to share information among the maritime operating centres of the GCC, Al Sabah said.

Nicholas Davis, chief executive officer of Maritime Guard Group, said that the only solution to facing maritime security issues is by improving the intelligence picture.

Piracy has been one threat which has been given a lot of media attention with the rise of Somalian pirates.

Nicholas Davis, Chief Executive Officer of Maritime Guard Group said that the piracy problem is not that difficult to solve. "This is a financial problem. This is not a terrorism or an ideology involved. This is very much a case of easy cash," he said.

"They don't like people coming in stealing their fish and dumping waste. They have no ability to police it," he said. Somalia has a 200 nautical miles sea limit, or exclusive economic zone.

He said the UAE has the potential to take the lead by engaging in a conversation with the Somalis to solve the problem. Read more.

All UAE interests are united in their concern over the threat from piracy off the coast of Somalia, a senior official said Wednesday, in the Gulf News.
“By bringing together all UAE stakeholders on piracy here today, we want to spread understanding of the issue and the challenges of responding, so we can all work together toward solving this problem,” General Faris Al Mazrouai, assistant Foreign Minister for Security and Military Affairs, told a meeting of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia Wednesday.

The meeting was designed to give an opportunity for Working Group chairs from the US, UK, Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands to express their priorities for the UAE’s Chairmanship, and talk about what they want to achieve at the Plenary Session in New York, on March29.
The UAE has outlined four priorities for its chairmanship namely public awareness and outreach, increasing compassionate support for Somalia, enhancing regional capacity to respond to piracy, and highlighting the role of education in countering piracy.

General Al Mazrouai said the UAE especially hoped to see, during the 11th Chairmanship, the completion of outstanding projects including supporting a better justice system in Somalia – through training and capacity building – to allow trial of suspected pirates, bringing in the private sector more effectively to discussing of the problem and advancing the outreach agenda of the Contact Group, in support of the crucial work of Working Group 4 on public information.

“The UAE has developed a comprehensive response to piracy over the past three years, and continues to view piracy off the coast of Somalia as a top priority issue," he said. Read more.

Piracy Costs  

At the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, the issue of supply chain risk took a high profile, with senior government figures and industry leaders seeking to develop ways in which economic damage caused by disrupted supply chains could be mitigated - IFW-Net.com.

As part of the initiative, a new report was launched at the event – New Models for Addressing Supply Chain and Transport Risks – that highlighted the urgent need to review risk management practices.

According to the WEF, governments and companies need to become more resilient in the face of emerging and complex risks.

The largest risk is from the unknown. Major disruptions in the past five years – including the global financial crisis, Yemen parcel bomb scare, flooding in Thailand and the Japanese earthquake and tsunami – have highlighted how risks outside the control of individual organisations can have unintended consequences that cannot be mitigated by one organisation alone.

Encouragingly, more than 90% of those surveyed by a WEF and co-report author Accenture initiative indicated that supply chain and transport risk management has become a greater priority in their organisation over the past five years.

While global supply chains are increasingly complex and spread out, some critical components are only available in one location.

For the world’s largest shipping companies, Somali piracy is the most serious threat. It costs US$12-17bn every year in insurance, security and other costs, says Dan Sten Olsson, CEO of Stena.

Internationally, the report calls for governments to come together to tackle risks, whether they be climate change or piracy off the Gulf of Aden. In the latter case, international law needs to be updated to decide jurisdictions and military responsibility, among other issues.

One disincentive to improving risk management is that financial markets have been rewarding companies for being very lean. But this additional cost is necessary for businesses to be able to absorb shocks and to rebound afterwards.

Yet, risks remain, because today’s supply chains, especially in emerging markets, can be long and not entirely traceable.

Overall, the report concludes that there is a need to introduce greater flexibility in operations and enhance collaboration between businesses and governments – nationally and internationally – to better manage the risks to global supply chains.

Questions were raised in the House of Commons on the cost of piracy to the UK economy in 2012. The responses made are as follows:

Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the potential cost of piracy to the UK economy in 2012; and what discussions he has had with his international counterparts on ways of minimising that cost.

Mr Bellingham: It has been estimated by One Earth Future that maritime piracy could be costing the global economy up to US$12 billion a year, both directly and indirectly such as through increased insurance premiums. The turnover of the British shipping industry is worth £10.7 billion of our national GDP. Approximately US$1 trillion of trade to and from Europe travels through the Gulf of Aden, the second busiest international trade route in the world and a key area affected by piracy.

Britain is playing a leading role in counter-piracy operations at sea off the Horn of Africa, and in the same region we are leading international work with regional partners to build penal, judicial and law enforcement capacities in support, with more than 1,000 pirates now in custody. We are also playing an active role to take steps to address piracy off the western coast of Africa.

The first line of defence remains self-defence by ships to minimise the risk of successful hijack. But the long-term solution to maritime piracy lies on land, with the development of justice and rule of law capacity and increased stability. Read more.

Should the commercial shipping industry be applauding last year’s reduction in vessel hijackings by Somali pirates as an indication the tide is turning in this war? Anyone who does applaud should take a closer look at the statistics; the number of Somali pirate attacks actually rose last year, increasing to 237 along key shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, an increase of 12 percent from 2010, according to the International Maritime Bureau, says Janet Plume for Break Bulk.

Somali pirates are responsible for the lion’s share of piracy assaults, accounting for nearly 54 percent of the global total of 439 pirate attacks last year.

For their trouble, the Somali pirates collected more than US$135 million, according to U.K. think tank Chatham House. That’s an increase in the average ransom from $600,000 in 2007 to $4.7 million per vessel last year.

However, out of 2011’s 439 attacks, only 28 vessels were actually hijacked, compared with 2010’s high of 49.

The IMB and other piracy experts attribute the decline in successful hijackings to interventions by various navies patrolling the Gulf of Aden, and to defensive efforts on the part of many shipowners, which in many cases includes arming their vessels with gun-toting guards. Dutch-flag vessels remain barred from carrying armed guards, but British merchant vessels as of last month were freed up to do so.

India’s shipping ministry also recently issued guidelines for engaging armed guards from private security agencies onboard India-flag ships.

Shipowners and their organizations have been wrestling with the complicated legal and financial repercussions of engaging in gun battles on the high seas with pirates, as well as whether the presence of armed guards increases the risk to crew if pirates do successfully take over a ship. There’s also been much speculation as to what national and international rules and regulations are even applicable when altercations occur. This means that in cases where pirates are captured, some 90 percent are released without being charged.

It’s a positive move by the British and Indian governments to step up and allow shipping companies to arm against pirates. Until recently, seafarers and shipowners have been helpless to defend themselves against the piracy plague. Because of concern for crew safety, they have frankly for many years also been reluctant to do so.

Seafarers' Plight  

It has been a wait for more than 20 months for the families of the Indian sailors on MV Iceberg 1 held hostage by Somali pirates but with increasing embarrassment as the families await the return of their loved ones. India's External Affairs Minister speaking to TIMES NOW [video] ensures efforts are being taken to ensure release of these sailors, however, the families continue to remain unsure - Neptune Maritime Security.

Rohit (28) of Triprayar in Thrissur district of Kerala who was one among the 21 crew members on board the Indian oil tanker hijacked by Somali pirates on August 20, reached home safely on Thursday evening, says Times of India.

The crew and the tanker were released by pirates after protracted negotiations last week, and had reached Salalah port in Oman on Tuesday night. Rohit was flown from Salalah to Muscat by Oman Air and from there to Kochi by Jet Airways, after the necessary medical check-ups, the family sources said.
The vessel, MT Fairchem Bogey is being managed by Mumbai-based Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, and it was hijacked while remaining anchored at Salalah port for refuelling.

Rohit later told reporters at his home that he and other crew members were initially tortured by the Somali pirates. "They were giving us food but water supply was very limited," he said.

The other crew members have been flown back to their respective home towns, he said.
Rohit said he intended to return back to work after four months. According to him, the company was very supportive during the periods of captivity and had begun negotiating with the pirates within week after of hijacking.

There was drama at the Kochi airport as the officials and media people got to know of the arrival of Rohit only after he had left the airport.
Some of them were waiting at the airport even when Rohit and family had reached home in Thrissur district.

Families of six Lankan fishermen abducted three months ago, say Somali pirates are demanding US$6 million (S$7.5 million) for their release, the Straits Times reported, according to Sri Lanka's Times Online.

The site quoted Niroshan Anthony who said on Wednesday that his brother and the other fishermen set out to sea in Negombo on Sri Lanka's west coast last September, for multi-day fishing, and lost contact with the vessel after one month. Anthony is the older brother of abducted fisherman Shantha Sebastian.

'They have threatened to kill my brother and let us hear the gunfire on the phone, if the money is not paid by Friday,' said Mr Anthony, adding that his family is unable even to meet their basic needs.

And Finally... 

Two days after U.S. special operations forces rescued a pair of aid workers from Somali abductors, news surfaced that another American, surfing journalist Michael Scott Moore, had been “kidnapped by Somali pirates.” But the crime didn’t happen anywhere near the surf. Moore was on land, driving to a Somali airport, and his captors were described as 15 men in two SUVs. Can you commit piracy on dry land? asks Slate.com

Not as it’s defined in international law. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea defines piracy as "any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of depredation, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft."

pecifically, the law applies to piracy “on the high seas or in any other place outside the jurisdiction of any state.” So even if they were swinging cutlasses and flying the Jolly Roger from the windows of their Land Cruisers, Moore’s assailants weren’t legally acting as pirates when they captured him. They would be more accurately described as carjackers, kidnappers, gangsters, or bandits.

Why, then, do news accounts refer to them as pirates? Because they arr. The kidnapping was reportedly carried out by a gang whose leader is a well-known pirate commander. The commander, Ali Duulaye, is thought to have helped hijack a Seychelles-flagged fishing vessel in December. A pirate source told the website Somalia Report on Saturday that Moore was being held on land, alongside two hostages taken from that vessel, though he has apparently since been moved. Somalia Report’s editor, the Canadian journalist Jay Bahadur, tells the Explainer that the proliferation of armed guards on vessels plying the Arabian Sea has forced pirate networks to focus more on land-based operations of late.

In theory, this shift to terra firma could pose legal complications for countries such as the United States as they attempt to rescue hostages. The prohibition on piracy is one of the oldest and clearest in international law, dating to the time of Cicero, who declared pirates the common enemies of all—“hostis humani generis.” That phrase forms the basis for universal jurisdiction: Because pirates operate outside of national boundaries, any country is legally permitted to arrest and prosecute them. In practice, universal jurisdiction is rarely invoked: Few countries take the trouble to go after pirates unless it’s their own citizens who are being held. In that case, they may simply assert their inherent right to protect their own people abroad.

The trickier legal issue is carrying out military operations on another country’s soil, which can be a violation of sovereignty whether the targets are pirates or not. That’s unlikely to constrain the United States if it believes it has a chance to free Moore, however. Somalia’s internationally recognized government wields little authority beyond the battle-scarred capital, Mogadishu, which is the reason pirates proliferated there in the first place. Plus, the United States is a key ally in the Somali government’s long-running fight with the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabaab.
Explainer thanked Eugene Kontorovich of Northwestern University and the Institute for Advanced Study; Jay Bahadur, author of The Pirates of Somalia; and James Kraska of the U.S. Naval War College.

Piracy Incidents 

Hijack:

• None. List of vessels hijacked by Somali pirates in 2011 here.

Unsuccessful Attacks (All Regions):

• South China Sea - Robbers boarded an anchored Panama-flagged chemical tanker, Golden Fountain, at 0340 LT: in position 05:48N - 118:05E, Sandakan Inner Anchorage, Sabah, Malaysia. Duty A/B on rounds sighted the robbers armed with long knives and immediately informed the duty officer. Seeing crew alertness the robbers escaped with stolen ship's stores. Reported (via IMB) 28 Jan.

• Indian Ocean - General cargo ship in posn 04:55N - 058:14E at 1042 UTC approximately 620 NM NE of Mogadishu, sighted a dhow with an orange bow which released a skiff with 5 POB that approached the Antigua & Barbuda-flagged ship, BBC California. Weapons were seen. Onboard armed security team fired warning flares which were ignored by the skiff. As the skiff approached the vessel, at a distance of 500 meters the security team fired warning shots resulting in the skiff aborting and moving away. Reported (via NSC/IMB) 28 Jan.

• South China Sea - Eight robbers armed with long knives boarded an anchored UK (Gibraltar)-flagged container ship, Istrian Express, at 2230 LT: Posn: 20:38.4N – 106:53.0E, Haiphong anchorage, Vietnam. They took the duty A/B hostage, forced him into the bosun store and tied him up. The robbers stole ship stores and escaped. As the A/B was not answering calls on the walkie talkie a search party was sent forward and rescued. Master tried to contact Haiphong port control but received no response. Reported (via IMB) 27 Jan.

• South China Sea - Four robbers armed with a gun and knives boarded an anchored Singapore-flagged bulk carrier, MP Panamax 5, during cargo operations at 0440 LT: Adang Bay Anchorage, Indonesia. The robbers tried to attack the duty A/B, who managed to escape and inform the 2/O. Alarm raised and all crew mustered and proceeded towards the robbers. The robbers fired four shots and escaped with ship stores. No injuries to crew. Incident reported to pilot station. Reported (via IMB) 28 Jan.

• South China Sea - Robbers boarded an anchored Liberia-flagged Chemical tanker, Siteam Neptun, at night in position 01:07.95N - 104:10.97E, Batam Outer Anchorage, Indonesia. They stole ship stores and escaped unnoticed. Reported (via IMB) 1 Feb.

EUNAVFOR figures state 5 vessels and an estimated 155 hostages held captive (Updated 16 Jan - no further update). Somalia Report indicates 225 hostages held from captured vessels with a further 26 land based hostages, bringing to a total of 251 hostages. See the latest report. The latest report from IMB states 10 ships and 159 crew held (Up to 31 Jan). UKMTO figures state 9 ships and 173 hostages in captivity.

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 available at the link above; a high resolution version can be downloaded here.

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. 

Horn of Africa Pirate Activity

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Any suspicious activity should be reported to UKMTO in Dubai in the first instance (Email 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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