Piracy in Somalia needs new 'rules of engagement'

Dubai: The flourishing piracy off the Somali coasts has turned violent recently in what could signal the beginning of a new direction with new tactics.

Military force will not end the endemic operations, experts believe, but peace on land in the African country will, as well as changing "the rules of engagement" with the pirates, who are becoming by far richer and more powerful than their anarchic Somalia.

"There are certain remedies that need to be implemented," Dr Theodore Karasik, Director, Research and Development at the Dubai-based Institute for Near East and Gulf Military said.

"We can make the argument that the ransom paid to the pirates can finance terror, and once the link is made between terrorist financing and ransom money, then the rules of engagement can change for preventing pirates attacks," he told Gulf News.

Ships can start firing at the pirates' mother ships. Pirates can be also forced to go to land where they can be chased, Dr Karasik continued.

However using military force, particularly a US one, at the present stage to stop piracy seems impossible, and might open a Pandora's box. Such a development would only escalate conflict, experts say.

Some pointed at the fate of the US troops dispatched to Somali a year after it was plunged in a civil war in 1991. They were part of a humanitarian mission. But after they became involved in local tribal war, violent incidents occurred and the troops received orders to withdraw.

Piracy off Somali's coasts dates back to the 1980s. Then, it was "simple" operations with Somali fishermen robbing crews of foreign ships illegally in Somali waters. Later, the pirates' profitable business grew, and this year alone, more than 78 attacks were reported. Pirates hold at least 17 ships and 300 crews waiting for their ransoms to be paid.

Last Wednesday, pirates briefly hijacked an American freighter, and release efforts turned out well. But another rescue attempt left a French hostage dead.

Patrols from different countries, including Japan, China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia as well as Nato, American and European troops have been deployed along the 3,300 kilometres coastline, the longest in Africa, for several months now.

However, their presence needs to be boosted to put an end to piracy, UN officials.

"We need to increase the maritime presence, the international maritime presence," Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) Ahmadou Ould Abdallah said.

"They are doing a good job, though the area is huge, the coastline of Somalia is longer than the east coast of America."

Moreover, more efforts are needed to support the legitimate government in Mogadishu, "politically, diplomatically and financially", Abdallah told Gulf News.

Peace on land has to be supported to secure security at sea, Abdallah added.

However, other experts have doubts about this.

"It is operating on the clan system," Dr Karasik said. "It is going to be difficult to get that security on land. Some people argue you need to get security at sea first."