ETHIOPIA: Somalia PM says piracy could be stopped by functional government, urges ship owners not to pay ransoms

Record ID: 588952

  • Title: ETHIOPIA: Somalia PM says piracy could be stopped by functional government, urges ship owners not to pay ransoms
  • Date: 23rd April 2009
  • Summary: ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (APRIL 22, 2009) (REUTERS) SOMALI PRIME MINISTER OMAR ABDIRASHID ALI SHARMARKE TALKING TO JOURNALISTS SHARMARKE TALKING TO JOURNALIST (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOMALIA PRIME MINISTER OMAR ABDIRASHID ALI SHARMARKE SAYING: "I think that we are clear on what we said, that the piracy issue should not be separated from the fully functional government. I think the strategic approach to piracy is to help in the short term and long term, I think that this could be tackled by assisting the government of Somalia to become fully functional so that the pirates can be prevented before they go into the water." MORE OF JOURNALISTS LISTENING TO SHARMARKE (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOMALIA PRIME MINISTER OMAR ABDIRASHID ALI SHARMARKE SAYING: "I think it could have been prevented, if our institution would have been fully functional and I also think the way we see the solution is to actually establish a caravan that could actually keep out the pirates, and another thing is an effort to create some sort of economic opportunity for the people who live in the costal area." SHARMARKE WALKING OUT OF NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 8th May 2009 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ethiopia
  • Country: Ethiopia
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADRR0G6M19J8MDSBVNUBTUF73H
  • Story Text: Somalia's prime minister said on Wednesday (April 22) that the piracy issue in his country should not be separated from fully functional government and added that the foreign navies patrolling off Somalia's coast have failed to discourage piracy "an inch".
    Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke also condemned firms paying ransoms to sea gangs hijacking ships.
    Somali pirates have made millions of dollars seizing vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, and have driven up insurance rates for merchant ships passing through the waterways linking Europe to Asia.
    "I think that we are clear on what we said, that the piracy issue should not be separated from the fully functional government. I think the strategic approach to piracy is to help in the short term and long term, I think that this could be tackled by assisting the government of Somalia to become fully functional so that the pirates can be prevented before they go into the water," Sharmarke told journalists on a visit to the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa.
    Sharmarke's government is trying to quell an Islamist-led insurgency onshore that has displaced one million people and killed thousands. But international attention has focused on pirates operating in the strategic sea routes.
    Sharmarke said foreign navies patrolling Somalia's coastline have not been able to stem the sea gangs. There were 18 pirate attacks in March alone, the International Maritime Bureau says.
    "I think it could have been prevented, if our institution would have been fully functional and I also think the way we see the solution is to actually establish a caravan that could actually keep out the pirates, and another thing is an effort to create some sort of economic opportunity for the people who live in the costal area," Sharmarke added.
    As Sharmarke was speaking to the media, the French navy handed over 11 pirates captured in a naval raid earlier this month to Kenya security officials. The Somalis are expected to face trial in Kenya.
    Several pirates taken after seizing French ships are facing trial in France, but some have demanded to be sent back to Somalia.
    The Horn of Africa nation has been wracked by instability and violence since dictator Mohamed Siad Barre was ousted in 1991. Since then, there has been little effective central rule.
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