Help strengthens Somali marines to fight pirates

Somali Ambassador to Indonesia Mohammud Alow Borow hoped that the world could help strengthen his country`s marine corps in order to help fight the pirates operating in its waters.

The ambassador was responding to the pirates operating near the country`s waters which had detained many international-flagged ships and asked for ransom to their owners. 

"Right now the Somali government is trying its best to strengthen its marines by specially training 2,000 personnel. However, the corps need warships and other supporting equipment to be able to function optimally ," the ambassador said here on Wednesday.

He said before the 1991 Civil War Somalia was known as one of the African countries with strong marine corps. "Everything has has now changed after the war," he added. 

As to the piracy in Somali waters, the ambassador said his country had since 2008 asked the United Nation to act firmly against the pirates. 

"The Somali government has agreed to allow all countries with marine powers to fight the pirates. The pirates are pure criminals and therefore they must be eradicated," he said. 

Somalia which has not had an effectively functioning central government since 1991, has been torn apart by decades of conflicts and factional strife, more recently with Al-Shabaab Islamic militants. The country was also facing a dire humanitarian crisis in which 2.4 million people are in need of assistance.

According to official website of the United Nations, the Somali Transitional Federal Government (TFG) currently in place has made some progress in tackling the country`s challenges but requires further support. 

In its previous resolutions, the Council had authorized States and regional organizations to enter Somalia`s territorial waters and use "resort to all necessary means" to fight piracy such as deploying naval vessels and military aircraft, as well as seizing and disposing of boats, vessels, arms and related equipment used by the pirates. 

Recently the UN Security Council is considering the establishment of specialized Somali courts to try suspected pirates both in the Somalia and in the region.

The Council also urged both State and non-State actors affected by piracy, most notably the international shipping community, to provide support for a host of judicial- and detention-related projects through the trust fund set up for that purpose.

In its unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-member Council stressed the need for "a comprehensive response to tackle piracy and its underlying causes by the international community," as it outlined a wide array of measures to more effectively counter the scourge of piracy.

These include calling on States to cooperate on the issue of hostage-taking; encouraging States and regional organizations to assist Somalia in strengthening its coastguard capacity; urging all States, including those in the region, to criminalize piracy under their domestic laws; and underlining the need to investigate and prosecute those who illicitly finance, plan, organize, or unlawfully profit from pirate attacks off the Somali coast.

Source: ANTARA