Region | Somalia
Somali pirates weigh ills of lucrative career
The spoils of a career as a pirate off Somalia's high seas were simply too good for Abdi Muse to pass up. He bought two Land Cruisers and a new home, then married two women in one passionate week.
- AP
- Published: 00:35 April 26, 2008
- Onintza, daughter of Gotzan Klemos, one of the crew members of the hijacked Spanish tuna trawler, holds a portrait of her father in the small Basque town of Forua, northern Spain.
- Image Credit: AP
Nairobi: The spoils of a career as a pirate off Somalia's high seas were simply too good for Abdi Muse to pass up. He bought two Land Cruisers and a new home, then married two women in one passionate week.
"I was giving away money to everyone I met," said Muse, 38, who said he made $90,000 hijacking ships. "After two months, I had no money left."
For years, Somali pirates like Muse have found lucrative work stalking the country's lawless coast, seizing boats and negotiating ransoms. But these brazen assailants could soon face more force as the United States and France muster international support for taking them on.
International forces
The United States and France are drafting a UN resolution that would allow countries to chase and arrest pirates after a spate of recent attacks.
French officials say they are pushing for a resolution that would make it easier for armies to swoop into other countries' waters and nab pirates.
Many Somali pirates are trained fighters linked to politically powerful clans while others are young thugs enlisted to do the dirty work for older, more powerful criminals, who turn a profit by taking a cut of the ransom money and selling the ship's cargo.
Pirates often dress in military fatigues, using speedboats equipped with satellite phones and Global Positioning System equipment. They are typically armed with automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers and grenades, according to the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia. To some pirates, however, the prospect of international force is not particularly daunting.
"We are not scared of the US troops or any other troops stationed off our waters," said Siyad, a Somali pirate. "They have weapons, but so do we. And we are the ones with the human shields." Now, $35,000 richer after hijacking two vessels, including a Japanese tanker seized in December, Siyad said the best, most profitable choice was clear.
But Muse had second thoughts a few years ago, blaming the easy money for the loss of his wives and other personal misfortunes.
"Now I work at a private company, I am no longer a pirate," he said. "I am happy to get a small monthly salary."
Share this article
Popular in News
News Editor's choice
-
Diabetes: A ticking time bomb
Gulf News takes a closer look at the spread of diabetes in the UAE
-
Africa segment at Dubai film festival
Productions feature interesting mix of genres tackling serious issues
-
What to expect at the Dubai Airshow
We preview what types of aircraft to expect at the Dubai Airshow
