Piracy off the coast of Somalia
Piracy off the Somali coast has been a threat to international shipping since the beginning of the country's civil war in the early 1990s.[1] Since 2005 many international organizations, including the International Maritime Organization and the World Food Programme have expressed concern over the rise in acts of piracy.[2] Additionally, Combined Task Force 150, a multinational coalition naval task force, has taken on the rôle of fighting piracy.
History
With the chaotic state of Somalia, and the lack of a central government, the conditions for the growth of piracy were ripe. Acts of piracy temporarily subsided following the rise of the Islamic Courts Union in 2006. However, pirate activity began to rise after Ethiopia invaded Somalia in December of 2006. Since then, the Transitional Federal Government has made some efforts to combat piracy, occasionally allowing foreign naval vessels into Somali territorial waters. However, more often than not, foreign naval vessels chasing pirates are forced to brake off when the pirates enter Somali territorial waters.[3][4]
Chronology of attacks
2008
- April 20 – The FV Playa de Bakio is hijacked about 217 NM (400 km) off the Somali coast. The vessel is a Basque, Spanish-registered, tuna fishing boat. According to reports, four pirates ceased the vessel and its crew of 24, made up of 13 Africans and 13 Spaniards. The boat was slightly damaged in the attack and was reported to be heading towards Somalia.[5]
- April 4 – The MY Le Ponant is seized in the Gulf of Aden. The [France|French]]-owned luxury yacht had no passengers on board, but there were 30 crew members: one Cameroonian, six Filipinos, 22 French, and one Ukrainian. The FS Commandant Bouan (F-797), a French D'Estienne d'Orves-class aviso, and the HMCS Charlottetown (FFH-339), a Halifax-class frigate, were dispatched to the yacht. On April 12 the crew and the ship were released, apparently after the owner, CMA CGM, paid a ransom. After the crew was released, French soldiers tracked the pirates, who were then on land. According to the French military a sniper in a helicopter disabled the engine of a car transporting the pirates, while another helicopter landed and captured six pirates and recovered some ransom money. On April 13 the six appeared in a French court in Paris and were charged with, among other things, hostage-taking, hijacking, and theft.[6][7][8]
References
- ^ Khan, Sana Aftab. "Tackling Piracy in Somali Waters: Rising attacks impede delivery of humanitarian assistance". UN Chronicle. United Nations Department of Public Information, Outreach Division.
- ^ "Piracy in waters off the coast of Somalia". International Maritime Organization.
- ^ Starr, Barbara. "U.S. destroyer pursuing hijacked ship in Somali waters, military says". CNN.
- ^ Rankin, Nick. "No vessel is safe from modern pirates". BBC News.
- ^ "Somali pirates seize Spanish boat". BBC News. 2008-04-20. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ "France is tracking hijacked yacht". BBC News. 2008-04-05. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
- ^ Samuel, Henry (2008-04-14). "Somali pirates seized after hostages are freed". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2008-04-20.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "6 Somali pirates face preliminary charges in France". Associated Press via Google News. 2008-04-18. Retrieved 2008-04-20.