Somalia Will Become Pirate Magnet According to Leaders Meeting

by Rob Walker | November 20, 2008 at 12:40 pm

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After the recent spate of ships taken hostage off the coast of Somalia, regional leaders met to discuss what they see as a growing problem.

Senior officials from Somalia, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and others met in Egypt today to see what could be done to reduce Somalia as a breeding ground for pirates.

The increase in piracy prompted senior officials from Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Yemen and Somalia's government to gather for a private meeting in the Egyptian capital, Cairo.

The chairman of the Commission of the African Union, Jean Ping, also said the country needed outside help.

He said the rise in piracy was "a clear indication of the further deterioration of the situation with far-reaching consequences for this country, the region and... international community".

The issue has come to the spotlight this week after the capture of the Sirius Star, a huge oil tanker taken hostage off the coast of Somalia. Word broke today that the pirates are demanding $25 million for the safe return of the ship and its crew. NowPublic staffer Dave Keating posted on that earlier:

Somali pirates have demanded a $25 million ransome for the Saudi oil tanker which they hijacked earlier this week.

What affect does increased piracy on the high seas mean for the average consumer? Well, it could steal christmas and affect the delivery of toys for the holidays. NP staffer Jordan Yerman has that story here:

Not content with hijacking oil tankers, pirates can potentially steal Christmas, too. Pirates wouldn't come to your village dressed as Santa and uttering Grinchy rhyming couplets, but instead would (and indeed already are) disrupt the delivery cycle upon which our economies depend.

But why do it? For the same reason pirates have always existed: The money. With money comes power, women, homes and fancy toys, which local residents say typifies the usual pirate. The BBC has an interesting write-up on this:

According to residents in the Somali region of Puntland where most of the pirates come from, they live a lavish life.

Fashionable

"They have money; they have power and they are getting stronger by the day," says Abdi Farah Juha who lives in the regional capital, Garowe.

"They wed the most beautiful girls; they are building big houses; they have new cars; new guns," he says.