Piracy Report 5th Feb

The dramatic month of January ends quietly as the poor weather conditions deter pirate activity at sea. Undoubtedly, the pirate gangs are regrouping and considering how to restock the supply of ships, whilst keeping out of range of any rescue operations by CP forces.

The two dhows hijacked in January, which were not widely reported, have now been classified as motherships ready to commence operations. However, a fishing vessel used as a mothership has been reported to have sunk.

The recent uncertainty over the prosecution of suspect pirates detained by UK and Danish naval forces has received some clarity. The Seychelles, despite the crowded prison and courts, has taken 14 suspects from the Royal Navy, but only four of the 25 held by the Danish warship. This situation highlights the ongoing problem of providing appropriate judiciary in the region. The call for a new international system to make it easier to bring pirates to justice is made by the UAE, and at a conference an IMO official said, "There is no international law against conspiracy to conduct acts of piracy … if they're not caught in the act, then it's actually very difficult to prosecute." The UK may put on trial and jail Somali pirates in the UK if its citizens are attacked at sea, but the government's priority is to help Somalia boost its inadequate prison capacity, as discussed in Parliament this week. The Save Our Seafarer campaign argues that continuing over-reliance on regional prosecution is putting massive pressure on the judicial systems in Somalia's neighbouring countries, already overburdened with piracy cases.

The UK, in the lead up to the London Conference on Somalia, continues to be at the forefront of efforts to improve international co-operation and commitment, including the appointment of its first ambassador to Somalia for 21 years. Russian, NATO and EU naval vessels have been involved in coordinated exercises in the region. India, China and Japan have also started to co-operate. Meanwhile, the GCC countries are combining efforts to protect their territorial waters and sea lines of communication.

An Iranian warship has been reported to have thwarted an attack on an oil tanker Southeast of the Gulf of Aden. In spite of the multi-national co-operation in the region, reporting of pirate incidents from the Iranian forces remains a glaring omission.

Nigeria last year spent about N2.6 billion, around $16 million, to provide security for the waterways of Cotonou, the Benin Republic capital, stating it is a development that has so far checkmated the activities of pirates around the area.

3rg Maritime Security