NAIROBI, Kenya — Somalia’s prime minister says his government has identified many pirate leaders but needs more resources and the help of other countries to go after them.
NAIROBI, Kenya — Somalia’s prime minister says his government has identified many pirate leaders but needs more resources and the help of other countries to go after them. Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke, speaking Thursday to The Associated Press in an exclusive interview, said he was willing to share that information and work with other governments including the United States. "We have information on who is behind this, who is involved," Sharmarke said. "There is a lot of money flowing in … we are following very closely how money is distributed here." He was referring to the fact that Somali pirates can earn $1 million or more in ransom for each hijacked ship. Forty-two ships were hijacked by Somali pirates last year, and so far 19 have been taken this year. He said the Somali government was presenting a plan to envoys from the European Union, the United States and a regional authority to fight pirates by building up military forces and establishing intelligence-gathering posts along its coastline. "The best way to actually deal with this is to prevent (the pirates) from going into the waters," Sharmarke said. "We will have to do military actions … We are planning to establish at least ten or more observation posts on the coastline." Still, it was not clear how this plan could cover the 1,900-mile (3,100-kilometer) Somali coastline, since his government controls only a few square blocks of the capital, Mogadishu, with the aid of African peacekeepers. Donors so far have been reluctant to fund a government with little accountability, but the recent spike in piracy attacks may help unlock funds. In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton announced a new initiative Wednesday to fight the escalating scourge of piracy by freezing pirates’ assets. In January, the U.S. government proposed $5 million in funding to improve the Somali security services, a request that is currently before Congress. A Nairobi-based diplomat said Sharmarke’s plan sounded like an updated version of an outline presented at an anti-piracy conference in Kenya last December. "People are looking at it very seriously," the diplomat said. "Clearly the solution isn’t just at sea, there has to be a land-based solution. That requires some sort of coast guard or security system on the ground." He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press. Making sure money for troops and equipment is not stolen will be crucial to any funding for anti-piracy initiatives in lawless Somalia. A donors’ conference is to be held April 23 in Brussels to address concerns over transparency. Action must be taken swiftly, said Sharmarke, because the pirates are using their millions to buy more weapons and influence, and have become so powerful that they threaten the country’s shaky government. "The pirates have become cartels," Sharmarke said. ______ Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
About Post Author
