[07/February/2010]

By: Abu Bakr Abdullah

Edited into English by: Mahmoud Assamiee

SANA'A, Feb. 07 (Saba)- Piracy has evolved again with pirates resume carrying out attacks against a number of Yemeni and international trades ships. This means that piracy is still posing a real threat to international maritime despite all efforts for combating them.

The issue was a focus on the seminar entitled "Piracy off Somali Coasts and its Aftermaths on Yemen's Security", which was organized by Foreign Ministry's Diplomatic Institute.

Attended by a number of specialists and interested people from the government and academics, the seminar concluded that situations in Somalia are still unstable and a direct reason behind piracy continuation, which poses a real threat to international maritime. This also affirms Yemen's need to improve its coast guards as important factor in securing international maritime and limiting effects of piracy on the country.

On specialists' viewpoints on the nature of piracy and suitable mechanisms to face it, Saba reflected what these specialists, who participated in the symposium, believe.

Roots of piracy

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Muthani Hasan believes that piracy has been growing because of deteriorated situations in Somalia which forced 700,000 of people seek refuge in Yemen.

He indicates that the piracy came into existence through incidents of taking over boats and possessions of refugees fleeing the hell of battles in Somalia, yet the continuous disorder in the country and absence of state has encouraged pirates to expand their operations to interrupting international trade ships.

As days pass, these pirates get assets helped them buying boats, communication sets and weapons. This improvement has led to negative results on neighboring countries and on the world as whole because of the threat posed by international maritime lines, a matter imposed on the great powers to send their navies to the area to protect their maritime lines and ships passing through the Gulf of Aden and the Arab Sea.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Arab, Asian and African Affairs Ali al-Ayyashi says piracy has increased when pirates found that they got great funds as ransom paid for releasing ships they took over. This helped them to improve their capabilities and get improved technical various arms.

Direct Reasons

Researcher Mazen Shuga'addin, the Member of Political and Media Department in the cabinet indicates that the state failure in Somalia was accompanied by international aspirations of giant fishing ships which invaded Somali coasts earlier to loot its great wealth. "Somali coast is considered the longest in Africa, estimated at 3300 square kilometers and is a distinguished by plenty and various sea wealth which includes seabirds, whales, sharks and many kinds of turtles and dolphins. But it has become a hotbed to every Tom, Dick and Harry under the absence of authority in Somalia.

Over pirates' aims, Shug'addin clarifies that, no single case has been announced on political aims of pirates other than the ransom they bargain for. If we look back to targeted ships recently, political hidden aims of those who push them to carry these crimes have been shown.

Security fears

Some agree that piracy was the main reason behind the influx of a number of international warships to the area and this existence has converted into concerns to most of countries overlooking the Red Sea.

They also believe that the continuation of piracy will be a pretext to foreign military existence in the area, which will ultimately lead to more pressures and interference on regional countries' affairs. Whereas, the continuation of piracy will lead to transforming the Red Sea into a focus of regional wars and international and interferences besides attracting terrorism and drugs mafias.

Internationalizing the Red Sea, however, will make the overlooking countries lose their sovereignty on it and may lose utilizing its wealth.

National security's officials believe that turning of attacks from looting equipments into hijacking all ships and demanding great ransoms will encourage some terrorist organizations to attract pirates to carry out terrorist attacks in the region. Al-Qaeda, for example, could find a suitable environment in Somalia to practice its terrorist activities, given that the network has already argued its elements to head towards the sea for controlling marine outlets and carrying the battle onto the sea.

On the other hand, specialists think that the continuation of piracy in the southern outlet of the Red Sea will lead to transporting navigation via the Cape Good Hope, which will affect the international trade activity and transportation and hindering activities of Arab ports, particularly in countries overlooking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. This may reduce income of these countries and hamper their ability in realizing economic and political security; as a result it will be easy to terrorist elements to carry out revenge terrorist attacks, particularly against western interests.

Furthermore, Piracy is hindering arrival of international aid to affected Somalis which means continuous influx of refugees to Yemen to add additional economic, social and political burden.

Dr. Abdullah al-Faqih, Member of Political and Media Department at the Cabinet, says piracy nowadays has become a real threat on Yemen's security and stability in particular and on the region in general and poses great concern to countries overlooking the Red Sea.

He reveals that there is an agenda stood behind existence of piracy in 2008 as a justification to foreign military existence in the Red Sea under the pretext of using force against pirates via international powers according to the UN Security Council's resolution.

He suggests that the danger coming from these forces existing in the Red Sea lies in changing their duties from guardians into intervention of internal affairs of these countries.

Negative effects

Negative effects on Yemen because of piracy are varied on economic and security domains. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali al-Ayyahsi says the increasing piracy attacks have affected navigation activities in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait in addition to losses caused by piracy on national economy because of reduction numbers of ships using Yemeni ports for fueling and services.

He further said the phenomenon has left negative effects as it gave legacy to great powers to send their warships to the area and interfere in their in their internal affairs under the pretext of chasing pirates and protecting ships against attacks. It also led to internationalizing the Red Sea and its outlets; a matter poses direct threat to Yemen and countries overlooking the sea.

Shug'auddin reveals Israeli aspirations saying:" Israel is the hidden present player and the main beneficiary from piracy in the Red Sea and its boundaries. It has always accustomed us when there are dangers against Arab interests, Israel is there."

The main Israeli aims from piracy is playing basic and central role in the framework of the New Middle East System, through which it seeks to internationalize the Red Sea and its outlets to get great influence, let alone its tries to cripple navigation via supporting pirates.

Lieutenant colonel Shuga'a Mahdi, the Operations Director at the Coast Guard Authority, says challenges and security threats facing Yemen today are piracy, attacking ships and smuggling in its all forms; weapons, goods, drugs and medicines.


Future hopes

Researcher Shuga'uddin believes that the vacuum left by the state collapse in Somalia has encouraged great powers to influx into the region to exploit this vacuum to control the Red Sea. This imposes on all world countries to solve the Somali problem as a main step to face piracy.

He affirms that the crises surrounding the Arab World need unified move not to put the burden on foreign powers, given that what is happening in Somalia is Arab concern in the first place, let alone the country is a member in the Arab League.

He indicates significance that regional countries have to centralize the idea that the security of this passage is the right of countries overlooking the Red Sea and to affirm to Arab to respect Somalia's sovereignty and its unity and safety.

On his talks about Yemen's efforts exerted on helping Somalia, Deputy Foreign Minster Ali Hassan says Yemen has given special concern to Somalia since the deterioration of conditions in the country to reach settlement and creating an agreement between warring factors so that the government would be able to restore the order.

Adbdul-Qawi al-Iryani, the Dean of Diplomatic Institute, agrees affirms what Hassan said and adds that due to negligence of world countries of Somali issue, its problems have complicated and then piracy has become one result of the crisis in the country.

He argues that while Yemen has been calling the world to work on solving the Somalis issue, great powers have brought their marine vessels to position in the area to face piracy without achieving any fruitful results because they have not contribute in solving the phenomenon.

"If calls for curing the problem's roots in Somalia, conditions will go be worse and will lead to greater aftermaths during the near future," he warns.

Facts

- Piracy is carried out by elements called "Taroud, Al-Hawiah, Ishaq" and others who have worked previously in Somali marine forces. There are also individuals called "Support Elements" who have enough knowledge to use navigation means and communications.
- Pirates mostly use ships of middle sizes called "Al-Um" or the Mother and other small and fast ships and boats.
- RPG and other rockets, machine guns and Kalashnikovs are the weapons used by pirates to carry their attacks.
- The year 2009 has witnessed increasing number of attacks, 45 attacks have been reported.
- 209 tries of piracy have been occurred during 2009.
- 894 cases of kidnapping sailors in the same period.
- 42 kidnapping cases in2008
- 69 piracies try in the same period.
- 815 sailors have been kidnapped in 2009.


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