Main focus of Thursday, November 20, 2008

Modern-day pirates

Pirates have captured several ships off the coast of Somalia, among them a crude oil supertanker. The EU has already resolved to send a mission to the Horn of Africa. The European press discusses the problem of modern piracy and asks how it can best be countered.

De Standaard - Belgium

The daily De Standaard writes that the international community can do little to control the problem of pirates off the Somali coast. "The EU operation will have no more than a deterrent effect. The coast of anarchic Somalia is over 3,000 kilometres long, while the pirates are constantly expanding their area of operations. ... The pirate bands comprise fishermen, because they know the sea well, men who fought under the Somali Warlords and are able to supply heavy weapons and also people who can handle all the technological equipment - GPS and satellite telephones - needed for piracy these days. The pirates of Somalia are therefore no latter-day versions of Robin Hood and his men who want justice for the poor. These modern criminals do what they do because of the money, the power and the women who feel attracted to their hero status." (20/11/2008)

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ABC - Spain

The daily ABC comments on the EU's decision to deploy a fighting fleet to the Somali coastal region: "But this is unlikely to suffice unless leaders are also prepared to take the kind of hard line the Indian navy took when it sunk one of the pirate ships. It also needs the support of the countries of the region, which would do well to actively help and organise their own patrols to protect themselves from a problem that affects them as well." (20/11/2008)

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Dagens Nyheter - Sweden

The Stockholm daily Dagens Nyheter wants to see vigorous action taken to counter the growing problem of pirates on the Horn of Africa. It writes that the United Nations should play a central role: "The Convention on the Law of the Sea undoubtedly restricts the possibilities for taking action against suspected pirates, but the resolution of the Security Council provides the international community of states with a good basis for action. The fundamental problem is not really what happens at sea but what happens on land. Somalia is a lawless state. There is no government controlling the territory, and in the rural areas where the pirates live comfortably on the proceeds of the treasures they rob, local rulers have neither the will nor the means to intervene. On the contrary, they support these crimes." (20/11/2008)

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The Guardian - United Kingdom

The Guardian writes that ship owners must wake up, and not simply put their faith in their insurance companies: "Ship owners are curiously uninterested in the fate of their vessels and their crews because they are fully covered by insurance, and the pay-out on the life of a crew member is 20 times the average annual salary in the Philippines. Paying the ransom is more often than not the easier thing to do. Spiralling insurance premiums that are sure to result from the current wave of attacks may shake them out of their complacency. And there are other specific measures that can be taken. The creation of a multinational coastguard service for east Africa and the Horn of Africa is one. Putting transponders on ships and equipping them with armed guards and radar that covers the flanks from where they are boarded are others." (20/11/2008)

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Helsingin Sanomat - Finland

Helsingin Sanomat newspaper writes that international measures alone are not sufficient to counter the threat of piracy: "The worries are understandable, since more than 10 percent of the world's commerical shipping passes by the Horn of Africa. As the hijacking of the supertanker Sirius has shown the task is a difficult one, especially as the Somali coastline is 3,700 kilometres long and the pirates can carry out agile manoeuvres on high seas. But even as the eyes of the world focus on the ships, the situation in Somalia remains tense. The Somali government is losing what remained of its power. ... It could also be that the Islamists merely receive protection money from the pirates. Then the threat would be famine, a possible new terrorist state - and of course the pirates as well." (20/11/2008)

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