USACC President Comments on Piracy in Somalia

(Vocus) May 1, 2009 -- The U.S. African Chamber of Commerce (http://www.usafricanchamber.com/) (USACC) says any solution to Somali piracy must begin with the inclusion and involvement of the Somali people on the ground. To get their support, however, nations must also deal with other issues including illegal fishing, the dumping of chemical nuclear waste and the problem in the shipping industry of using different flags to minimize insurance premiums.

President of the USACC, Martin Mohammed (http://www.usafricanchamber.com/), says it takes a fraction of the cost of a military solution to solve the problems on the Somali Coast. The problem in Somalia is that of poverty and lack of opportunity in the country, he adds.

U.S. congressional committees have examined the problem of maritime piracy and steps the U.S. and other countries are taking to deal with it. Captain Richard Phillips, who was held for five days by pirates off the coast of Somalia, testified before a Senate panel, while U.S. officials appeared before a House committee.

In response to the sharp increase in pirate attacks in major shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, the United States, European Union, and other governments have stepped up counter-piracy operations in the area.

An international contact group was formed earlier this year. The U.S. Central Command set up a special anti-piracy task force, assisted by the U.S. Coast Guard.

So far this year, Ambassador Stephen Mull, Senior Adviser to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, said there have been 15 interdictions of pirate vessels, nearly double the total from 2008, with 52 pirates apprehended.

Mull says the international contact group, which will hold an emergency session in coming weeks, is working to build a permanent security approach:

"We want to protect America's right, and the world's right, to freedom of the seas through enhanced international cooperation in stopping these pirate attacks and building a lasting maritime security regime that we think will serve all of our interests in the end," said Stephen Mull.

Arming merchant vessels, either through private security firms or providing crews with weapons, was a key topic in House and Senate hearings.

Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher asked this question:

"Couldn't these people be deterred by just having private security guards on the ships or having someone hired by the shipping companies to keep a protective cover in that part of the world?"

While some shipping companies are using this approach, Coast Guard Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner said the issue is not simple, involving questions of proper training, effective techniques, cargo safety and insurance issues:

"There are many nations and many interests that think this raises the danger to the crews and to the vessel and will take this whole thing to a different level," said Admiral Baumgartner.

Captain Richard Phillips, held by four pirates who assaulted his ship the Maersk Alabama, and later freed after U.S. Navy sharpshooters killed three, testified to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Phillips favors further hardening of merchant vessels, enhanced training for crews, and U.S. military protection, to the extent possible, for U.S. flag vessels.

He says putting weapons aboard vessels would fundamentally change the model of commercial shipping and urges that this be seen as only one part of a broader strategy:

"At most, arming the crew should be only one component of a comprehensive plan and approach to combat piracy," said Captain Phillips. "To the extent that we go forward in this direction it would be my personal preference that only a limited number of individuals aboard the vessel have access to effective weaponry, that these individuals receive special training on a regular basis."

John Clancey, chairman of Maersk, Inc. told lawmakers that arming the crews of merchant ships could inject even more danger:

"Our belief is that arming merchant sailors may result in the acquisition of even more lethal weapons and tactics by the pirates, and a race that merchant sailors cannot win," said John Clancey. "In addition, most ports of call will not permit the introduction of firearms into their national waters."

Ambassador Mull told lawmakers no links have been identified so far between Somali pirates and Islamic or known terrorist groups, but said officials are closely watching to see if any emerge.

Democratic Senator John Kerry,Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Republican Richard Lugar both stressed that lawlessness in Somalia is at the core of the problem.

The USACC (http://www.usafricanchamber.com/) is the leading advocacy organization for U.S. African relations and emerging African markets. The USACC is the umbrella organization for African chambers of commerce and professional trade and business associations throughout the United States and abroad.

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