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Your online source for information related to piracy in Somalia. Use the menu bar to the left to navigate to the various sections of this site. Somalia Pirates assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the third party news reports on this site.

Somali Pirate

The issue of piracy off the coast of Somalia is a complicated one. Many factors have contributed to the rise of piracy in the region, read about them by clicking the "History" button on the left. If you would like to discuss the issue with others, please visit our Somalia Pirates discussion forum.

 

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Somalia Piracy News
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  • World leaders to discuss Somalia 23 Feb 2012 00:30 GMT BBC

    … The threat from terrorism and piracy in Somalia are among the issues … militant groups and pirates operating off the coast of Somalia pose a … Indian Ocean off the Somali coast to deter pirate attacks. They have … - 27% of the population Somali pirates are currently holding 10 ships …

  • Russia to Join London Conference on Somalia 23 Feb 2012 02:41 GMT RIA Novosti

    … international anti-piracy efforts off the Somali coast since 2008, successfully escorting … from various countries through the pirate-infested waters. Russia has also called … Yugoslavia and Rwanda to try Somali pirates.

  • UN approves more peacekeepers for Somalia 23 Feb 2012 01:50 GMT http://www.iol.co.za

    … measures to tackle instability in Somalia and piracy off its shores. AMISOM … peace” to Somalia. The force, which first entered Somalia in 2007, has … Baidoa in central Somalia. Ethiopian troops moved into Somalia in November but … to withdraw eventually, diplomats said. Somalia collapsed into feuding between rival …

  • A Pirate's Perspective In 'Fishing Without Nets' 23 Feb 2012 00:03 GMT WBUR Boston

    … are Somali pirates. Or rather, they're actors playing Somali pirates in a … of piracy off the coast of Somalia — from the perspective of the pirates … when he heard about the Somali pirates in 2008, he was obsessed … he doesn't support Somali piracy, but understands why someone would …

  • UN approves boost to Somalia peacekeeping force 23 Feb 2012 00:03 GMT Radio Australia

    … Somalia and piracy off its shores. The AMISOM force, which first entered Somalia … stronghold of Baidoa in central Somalia. AMISOM has until now consisted … command Kenyan forces that entered Somalia independently last October to fight … and kidnappings on Kenyan soil. Somalia collapsed into feuding between rival …

  • Competing agendas at Somalia mee… 23 Feb 2012 03:50 GMT edition.cnn.com

    … Labott Somalia's problems are many.  Terrorism, lawlessness and piracy. A … in Somalia who undermine a political solution. What to do about piracy … will help build cases against pirates caught on the high seas … target militants in Somalia, and European nations see Somalia as one of …

  • In Somalia, trying to avoid another Afghanistan 23 Feb 2012 03:56 GMT The Globe and Mail

    … that vacuum have fallen warlords, pirates, militias and, most recently, al-Shabaab … Abdullahi Boru Halakhe, a Kenya-based Somalia analyst with the International Crisis … holding together Somalia, and that is why we have piracy, warlords and … point to the breakaway Somali regions of Somaliland and Puntland, which have …

  • World Leaders Gather in a Script All Too Familiar to Somalis 23 Feb 2012 03:24 GMT The New York Times

    … to fix Somalia. But here on the ground, in scorching-hot Somali villages … the key to Somalia’s problems, like poverty, piracy, famine and two … Somalia for years, and Mr. Cameron’s original interest was in piracy … to protect ships from Somalia’s indefatigable pirates. Late last year, Mr …

  • PM Hosts Summit To Stop Somali Instability 23 Feb 2012 03:35 GMT Sky News

    … and safer Somalia after two decades blighted by war, piracy, terrorism and … troops from neighbouring Ethiopia and Somali government forces. The UN Security … are being poisoned by radicalism. Pirates are disrupting vital trade routes … country. Famine and instability in Somalia are spreading instability across the …

  • Europe, Asia plundering Somalia's rich maritime resources 23 Feb 2012 00:37 GMT Catholic Online

    … out the modestly-equipped, ransom-seeking pirates off the Somali coastline. LOS ANGELES, CA … on Somalia scheduled to take place in London. "Crises like Somalia … Somalia is not succeeding.  "After 20 years of sliding backwards, Somalia …

  • PM to appeal for Somalia support 23 Feb 2012 03:19 GMT The Sligo Champion

    … to step up support for Somalia in an effort to stabilise … and safer Somalia after two decades blighted by war, piracy, terrorism and … troops from neighbouring Ethiopia and Somali government forces. The UN Security … inspired by those fighting in Somalia. With the London Olympics later …

  • Somalia conference seeks to galvanise peace push 23 Feb 2012 00:16 GMT London South East

    … coordinate efforts against militants and pirates seen as growing threats to … business and piracy to the distribution of humanitarian aid. Nevertheless, Somalis who … Somalia to instil a sense of peace and working together.' Somalia … terrorism and piracy.' The force, which first entered Somalia in 2007 …

  • UK to double military aid for Somalia 23 Feb 2012 00:08 GMT The Independent

    … the tentative political progress in Somalia. The UN has agreed a … al-Shabaab, as well as the pirates operating off the coast. However …

  • Security Council calls for large increase to African peace force in Somalia 22 Feb 2012 23:34 GMT United Nations

    … tomorrow’s London Conference on Somalia, where representatives of various Member … of the key challenges in Somalia is piracy, which, according to the … the militant group Al-Shabaab and pirate networks. Mr. Fedotov highlighted the … advocacy programmes. “The issue of piracy requires a strong inter-agency approach …

  • UN: Somali pirates netted 170 million dollars in ransoms last year 22 Feb 2012 18:28 GMT Monsters and Critics

    … United Nations said Wednesday that Somali pirates received about 170 million dollars … a debate on piracy off the coast of Somalia. UNODC's … of any ideological link between pirates and Somalia's al-Shabaab insurgents … 1,116 young Somali men being prosecuted for piracy by courts in …

  • QC working on relief plan for Somalians 22 Feb 2012 23:14 GMT Gulf Times

    … ) is working to return displaced Somali families to their homes to … the region. Mohamed Hussein, manager, Somalia office programmes, QC, said that … to criminal gangs, terrorist organisations, pirates and drug and arms smugglers … to prevent the collapse of Somalia’s economic backbone - livestock …

  • Boost for Somali forces battling al-Shabab 22 Feb 2012 22:17 GMT Al Jazeera

    Ethiopian and Somali troops have captured the strategic Somali city of Baidoa … Somali militia." Ethiopian troops, who moved into southern and western Somalia … measures to tackle instability in Somalia and piracy off its shores. Wednesday …

  • Lanka team will talk to pirates to secure fishermen’s release 22 Feb 2012 22:05 GMT Khaleej Times

    … Sri Lankan fishermen abducted by Somali pirates. The Somali pirates, who have demanded the … Somalia territorial waters in a trawler owned by a businessman. The pirates … between the pirates and the Lankan delegation go. The Somali government has …

  • Somalia: chronicle of failure 22 Feb 2012 21:50 GMT The Guardian

    … amid heavy rains and undependable Somali clans, despite some successes the … where the militants co-exist with pirates. The two problems are being … , to unify south and central Somalia by transcending clan loyalties was … now 500,000 Somali refugees. MI5 fear a Somali-linked bombing campaign in …

  • Involve Somali in talks 22 Feb 2012 21:26 GMT DAILY NATION

    … conference on Somalia hosted by British Prime Minister David Cameron. Somalia’s … under discussion included governance of Somalia after the mandate of the … the Al-Shabaab extremists, and the pirate gangs. That wonderful agenda will … sustainable peace and security in Somalia cannot be imposed from outside …

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Piracy off the Somali coast has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21 century.[1] Since 2005, many international organizations, including the International Maritime Organization and the World Food Programme, have expressed concern over the rise in acts of piracy.[2] Piracy has contributed to an increase in shipping costs and impeded the delivery of food aid shipments. Ninety percent of the World Food Programme's shipments arrive by sea, and ships have required a military escort.[3] According to the Kenyan foreign minister, Somali pirates have received over US$150 million in ransom during the 12 months prior to November 2008.[4] Clashes have been reported between Somalia's Islamist fighters (who are opposed to the Transitional Federal Government (TFG)) and the pirates.[5] In August 2008, Combined Task Force 150, a multinational coalition task force, took on the role of fighting Somali piracy by establishing a Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) within the Gulf of Aden.[6] The increasing threat posed by piracy also caused significant concerns in India since most of its shipping trade routes pass through the Gulf of Aden. The Indian Navy responded to these concerns by deploying a warship in the region on October 23, 2008.[7][8] In September 2008, Russia announced that it too will soon join international efforts to combat piracy.[9] On October 5, 2008, the United Nations Security Council adopted resolution 1838[10] calling on nations with vessels in the area to apply military force to repress the acts of piracy.[11] At the 101st council of the International Maritime Organization, India called for a United Nations peacekeeping force under unified command to tackle piracy off Somalia.[12] (There has been a general and complete arms embargo against Somalia since 1992.) In November 2008, Somali pirates began hijacking ships well outside the Gulf of Aden, perhaps targeting ships headed for the port of Mombasa, Kenya.[13] The frequency and sophistication of the attacks also increased around this time, as did the size of vessels being targeted. Large cargo ships, oil and chemical tankers on international voyages became the new targets of choice for the Somali hijackers. This is in stark contrast to the pirate attacks which were once frequent in the Strait of Malacca, another strategically important waterway for international trade, which were according to maritime security expert Catherine Zara Raymond, generally directed against “smaller , more vulnerable vessels carrying trade across the Straits or employed in the coastal trade on either side of the Straits.”[14] In April 2010, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) alluded to possible covert and overt action against the pirates. CIA officials had been publicly warning of this potential threat for months. In a Harpers Magazine article, a CIA official said, "We need to deal with this problem from the beach side, in concert with the ocean side, but we don't have an embassy in Somalia and limited, ineffective intelligence operations. We need to work in Somalia and in Lebanon, where a lot of the ransom money has changed hands. But our operations in Lebanon are a joke, and we have no presence at all in Somalia."