Tag: somalia

Insurance companies to form private navy to tackle Somalian piracy

Insurance companies have signaled their intention to form a private navy to tackle rising levels of piracy around the Horn of Africa.

Hijacked vessels are costing the industry up to US$157 million in ransoms a year. The success of the piracy has let to increasingly aggressive and well-armed and equipped groups seeking further prey from bases in failed states like Somalia.

The UK’s Independent newspaper reported that Nato documents indicated that both ransoms and the duraction of hijackings had doubled in the last 12 months, to an average of US$4 million and 117 days.

16 ships and and 354 seamen are currently held hostage.

Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT), which insures 14 per cent of the world’s commercial shipping fleet, told the Independent that the world’s first private navy would work under the direct control of the military with clear rules of engagement valid under international law. A senior partner with the firm told The Independent that the navy would consist of armed personnel with fast boats escorting ships and “make it very clear to any Somali vessels in the vicinity that they are entering a protected area.”

The Maldives has previously repatriated latest castaways (six Somalians) who were rescued on May 16 are currently being kept in Dhoonidhoo custodial,” Muhusin said. ”They were brought there after they were discharged from hospital.”

Somali nationals have been rescued in Maldivian waters on several occasions, after being found adrift in small dinghys.

The country recently repatriated 25 castaways included seven people who were saved on December 1 last year, five people rescued on December 5, seven people saved on May 12 this year and six men more recently discovered in a dinghy near Makunudhoo, one of whom was found in the boat locker and believed dead but later stirred and recovered.

Makunudhoo islanders who rescued the men said it appeared they had been drifting in the tiny 12-15 foot vessel for three months without food or water.

There was public speculation as to whether the men were lost pirates, however this was not proven by police who noted that many of the castaways carried no passport or identity cards, or any document clarifying who they were and where they were from.

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Repatriation of castaways delayed by lack of documents

Police Sergeant Abdul Muhusin has said police are holding 25 castaways in police custody in Dhoonidhoo, while waiting for their respective countries to identify them and provide necessary documents.

Muhusin said that all the castaways would be repatriated when they are identified by their countries.

”The latest castaways (six Somalians) who were rescued on May 16 are currently being kept in Dhoonidhoo custodial,” Muhusin said. ”They were brought there after they were discharged from hospital.”

Muhusin said that many of the castaways carried no passport or identity cards, or any document clarifying who they were and where they were from.

”That’s why it’s taking some time to repatriate them,” Muhusin said.

Police said that the 25 castaways included seven people who were saved on December 1 last year, five people rescued on December 5, seven people saved on May 12 this year and the six men recently discovered in a dinghy near Makunudhoo.

”Police are investigating everyone,” Muhusin said. ”They have claimed that they were out for fishing.”

”They have not been arrested,” Muhusin emphasised.

State Home Minister Ahmed Adil said the investigation of the castaways was still ongoing and he had no idea when they could be repatriated.

State Foreign Minister Ahmed Naseem said that the Somalian government and Maldivian government together were trying to identify all the men who claimed to be Somalians.

”We have sent the Somalian government pictures of the castaways,” Naseem said.

He said he had no information about the Iranian vessel which was found in Maldivian waters in May, referring Minivan News to the home ministry

However, Adil said he had no information about Iranian vessel.

In May the Maldives Coastguard rescued an Iranian fishing vessel in Maldivian territorial waters, discovering that the crew have been deprived of water and food for several days.

Another Somalian boat was found with a crew of six men on board drifting near the island of Makunudhoo in Haadhaalu Atoll.

Makunudhoo islanders who rescued the men said it appeared they had been drifting in the tiny 12-15 foot vessel for three months without food or water.

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India and Seychelles join forces against Somali pirates

After activating a comprehensive security cooperation agreement with Maldives, India will increase maritime cooperation with Seychelles and will help the island nation deal with the increased incidents of piracy occurring near its waters, reports the Indian Express.

While the Navy already has a warship deployed in the Seychelles since April last year — after Somali pirates shifted base near the island chain due to increased international patrolling in the Gulf of Aden — the two countries have agreed to enhance the cooperation during the state visit by Seychelles President James Alix Michel.

“India and Seychelles have agreed to work together in controlling piracy in the Indian Ocean, so that we can try to make sure that this area is safer for economic development. Both countries face the same threat from piracy,” Michel said, addressing a business meet in the capital after meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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Island superstition saves ‘dead’ Somalian man from being buried alive by police

A Somalian man has narrowly escaped being buried alive after he was found comatose along with with five other men drifting in a small boat near the island of Makunudhoo in in Haadhaalu Atoll.

Makunudhoo islanders who rescued the men yesterday said it appeared the men had been drifting in the tiny 12-15 foot vessel for three months with little food or water.

An island official who assisted with the rescue told Minivan News that the boat was recovered yesterday at 5:30 pm by a fishing vessel, and that the men were in very bad condition when they were brought ashore.

”Everyone was shocked and felt sympathy for them at first glimpse,” he said. “There was no food, water or medication in the boat.”

Images and a video of the incident (below) showed the men badly emaciated and apparently suffering from severe malnutrition.

Word spread quickly across the island and nearly the whole population gathered near the beach to see the boat as it brought ashore.

Five of the men were rushed to the island’s health centre but the sixth man, curled up inside the boat’s anchor locker, was left on board as police assumed he was dead.

”We informed police of the incident immediately,” the official said. “They told us to leave the dead body and to take the rest of the men to health centre. They arrived later that night at 7:30 pm – people were really upset they came so late.”

The official told Minivan News that police tried to bury the ‘dead’ man immediately but were prevented by island elders.

”Elderly people denied the body from being buried on the island because of an old legend that claims the island might become haunted if a rotten dead body was buried,” he said.

The man was left in the boat’s anchor locker until this morning.

However when the islanders came to take the man’s body to be washed prior to burial, they were surprised to see him moving.

“Police insisted the body was not alive but was moving due to the motion of the water,” the official said. “But after a while he opened his eyes and started uttering something in his language which no one understood.”

He said everyone was shocked and rushed the man to the health centre.

”People so angry with police because they confirmed the body was dead without doing a medical check-up,” the official said. ”The poor man could have lost his life being buried alive after surviving three months adrift.”

He said all six men had now been admitted to hospital and their condition was improving.

”One man can stand up now,” he said, ”but someone from the Maldives who understands Somali is yet to be found.”

Islanders who spoke with the six men have been able to ascertain that the men were adrift for three months, after losing control of the boat and their bearings.

”We are all very sad that we left one man without medication and food, assuming  he was dead,” the official said.

‘Everyone on the island quickened to help them, provide clothes and fragnances for them at the time they were brought, but left one man behind.”

He said some people had begun speculating that the men were pirates while others suggested they might have been fishermen became lost, although no weapons or fishing equipment were found on board.

”The boat was 12-15 feet long but had a 40 horse-power engine attached, which is enough to run twice as fast as a high speed gulf craft.”

Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam said that the man’s body had been handed to police who were not required to confirm his death.

He confirmed the men were Somali and said police were now investigating the case.

”We have been unable to get some information from them because of their medical condition,” he said. ”At the moment it’s very difficult to reveal any details.”

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Erroneous reports of pirates operating in Maldivian waters: Foreign Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has claimed that while recent reports of pirates operating in Maldivian waters are unsubstantiated, the government is concerned about pirates operating off the Somali coast west of the Maldives.

Foreign Minister Dr Ahmed Shaheed said the government is keeping in touch “with the Indians and the Americans to enhance maritime security.”

“For now, Somali pirates are operating as far as the Seychelles, but not in the Maldives.”

Dr Shaheed said the government was taking “pre-emptive and preventive measures” to ensure the safety of the country.

State Minister of Defence Muiz Adnan said although there have not been recent reports of pirates operating in Maldivian waters, “this is a concern for everybody. A lot of pirates operate out of Somali waters.”

Adnan said the coast guard conducts regular sea and air patrols and also regularly schedules joint patrols with the Indian army, although “not only concerning piracy.”

He said if any pirate vessels are seen in Maldivian waters, “we will take the necessary measures to apprehend them.”

President of the Fishermen’s Union Ibrahim Manik said he had heard no reports of fishermen sighting any pirate vessels in Maldivian waters, but said that sometimes they saw foreign vessels illegally doing long-line fishing.

Manik said if fishermen saw any illegal vessels, they would “definitely cooperate with the government. We are fighting against this,” he said, but added that “we are not very concerned. We are stronger than that.”

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