Piracy solution is new Somali navy, says ambassador

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By Zhang Haizhou (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-24 08:48

The Somali ambassador to China urged the international community Thursday to help Somalia build up its own navy, as it would offer a "final solution" to fight the rampant piracy.

Piracy solution is new Somali navy, says ambassador

In an interview with China Daily, Mohammed Awil questioned the effects of the international joint mission to guard the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, one of the world's busiest waterways.

"Piracy is a mosquito," Awil said, while noting what the international community has been doing - having international joint forces patrolling there - is like "sending elephants to kill mosquitoes".

Apart from combating piracy, Awil said a Somali navy would also help curb illegal fishing and dumping, two other major problems his country is faced with in the waters.

Pirate gangs operating along Somalia's 3,100-km coastline have become increasingly audacious over the past two years, hijacking dozens of merchant ships and their crews to earn ransoms that can top $1 million per ship, according to media reports.

Since late last year, more than 20 warships have been patrolling the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

But a spokeswoman for the US 5th Fleet said recently that at least 60 warships are needed to guard the gulf.

As a response, Awil said a big international presence would do little to resolve the problem, as "some members of the international community are passive (to join the mission)".

"They don't care," Awil said, noting that's why ships are still being hijacked this month even though international joint forces are patrolling the region.

Irresponsible patrolling "is encouraging pirates to attack more vessels. They are not afraid. It's like they have a green light to capture more ships," Awil said, but refused to specify which countries were irresponsible.

He only listed vessels from France, China, India and the Netherlands as those doing the best jobs in Somali waters.

"The final solution is for the international community to help build up Somalia's own responsibility over its waters," he said.

Awil noted his home country has well-trained personnel, so what they need is mainly fast and better boats.

But the diplomat also said he thought the international community lacks the solidarity to help his country build up its own navy, as some countries have an interest in keeping illegal fishing and dumping there.

Allegations of the dumping of toxic waste, as well as illegal fishing, have circulated since the early 1990s, according to Al Jazeera, the English version of the Arabic-language news network.

Donor conference

Stabilizing Somalia tops the agenda of an international donor conference seeking funds to strengthen security forces and increase the number of African Union peacekeepers. But stopping the rampant piracy that is jeopardizing maritime shipping is at the heart of the meeting.

With the fledgling Somali government struggling to contain an insurgency and escalating pirate attacks against international shipping off Somalia's lengthy coast, participants at the UN-sponsored meeting on Thursday aimed to raise at least $166 million.

"We need new resources to support the government," said Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN special representative to the East African country. "Somalia has become a threat to itself, the region and the international community."

AP contributed to the story