Archive for October, 2011
InterManager Welcomes David Cameron’s Call For Armed Guards On UK Flagged Ships
InterManager (an active member of the Save our Seafarers (SOS) campaign) is, after months of campaigning, delighted to hear the public vilification of piracy issued by the UK Government. The SOS campaign has strived to bring recognition of the horrific and detrimental effect of Somali piracy to both Governmental and public awareness.
Alastair Evitt, President of InterManager, said that it was a quantum leap in public perception to hear the issue of piracy and merchant shipping addressed by the UK Prime Minister David Cameron so openly and frankly. Mr Cameron told the BBC yesterday: “Somali piracy is a complete stain on our world.”
InterManager has campaigned for the freedom of Owners and Managers to choose to deploy armed guards onboard ships they manage. The UK Government’s recognition of the value of armed guards and the right of the owner and manager to deploy them, in the right circumstances and in accordance with BMP4, is a great lead by the UK government and it is InterManager’s firm belief that this stance should be adopted by all flags and charterers that still do not openly support it.
InterManager re-iterates its position that it is not calling for every vessel to have armed guards onboard, rather that when a detailed risk assessment deems this the preferred option, then individual flag state legislation or charter party clauses should not obstruct Owners and/or Managers in taking this decision.
InterManager further supports ongoing initiatives to licence the companies providing armed guards (based on qualification, competence and experience), to define the rules of engagement in the event of a pirate attack and to control the type and flow of weapons deployed both onboard and while in transit to and from vessels.
ITF Fears Pirate Arms Race
An arms race may develop between pirates and the shipping industry given the widespread use of security teams to prevent vessels from being hijacked, the ITF has warned.
It raised the fear in a letter to the US Navy which calls for land-based assaults on pirate strongholds and a crackdown on known pirate anchorages.
David Heindel, chairman of the ITF, wrote in an open letter to US Admiral James Stavridis: “While we support the carriage of armed security guards we do not believe that they are an end-all solution.
“They are likely to result in an arms race and the pirates again changing their tactics.”
Heindel – who expressed concerns about the greater use of violence experienced by seafarers who encounter pirates – called for a more robust response from counter-piracy forces.
“This would include disrupting the pirate camps on land and restricting their access to fuel and to their ability to store fuel,” he said.
“We would like to see their ‘safe anchorages’ being made less safe.”
Navy experts have said pirate camps represent a straightforward military target but a tricky one legally and diplomatically.
Heindel also ripped into leading flag states for failing to make a meaningful contribution to the counter piracy effort.
“It is clear that they are not effectively ensuring that ships which fly their flag implement the BMP,” he said.
“Neither are they taking any measures to exercise their jurisdiction on the pirates that attack vessels which fly their flag.”
Nato Boss Says Piracy Commitment Subject To Resources
NATO’S Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, US Navy Admiral James Stavridis, has confirmed the organisation’s commitment to combating piracy off the coast of Somalia subject to the available resources at its disposal.
In a letter to the International Transport Workers’ Federation in response to its concerns, Adm Stavridis said: “I can guarantee the Nato task force uses all its means to limit the freedom of movement to the Pirate Action Groups in the area.”
While stressing the military action at sea being conducted by several coalitions “only address the symptoms of a wider problem”, Adm Stavridis said: “We are doing as much as we can with the assets the Nato members have allocated to the Nato counter-piracy task force. With other military coalitions, Nato warships put pressure on the identified strongholds of pirates along the coast of Somalia and intend to continue while the monsoon season is abating.”
Commenting on the legal framework for the detention and prosecution of suspected pirates, he advised: “Nato headquarters is attempting to negotiate a number of arrangements to facilitate the transfer to and from some regional states.”
ITF seafarers’ section chairman Dave Heindel had written to Adm Stavridis raising concerns about the increased use of violence by pirates and that many major flag states fail to make a real contribution to the fight against piracy, including making sure ships implement the agreed best management practice.
“Piracy is draining the morale of the seafaring population, and mariners did not enter this line of work expecting to be shot at by RPGs and AK-47s,” Mr Heindel said. “The developments this year have hit the morale of seafarers very hard, including the greater use of violence, abuse and even torture.”
The ITF called for a more robust response, including disrupting pirate camps on land, restricting access to fuel and action against their safe anchorages.
Mr Heindel said the ITF was keen to work closely with Nato to raise the political will to take decisive action to combat piracy. “The longer it is allowed to go on, the more difficult it will become to deliver an effective response.
Dispatches No. 76
Please visit our website and submit your petition to your local government to END THE PIRACY
www.intermanager.org
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AGM – Manila 15th November 2011 followed by Manning and Training Informa seminar
We have now block booked SOFITEL HOTEL for that week. Room rates are as follow:
Single Rate Double Rate
Luxury Room US$155.86/108.15 EUR US$170.58/118.36EUR
When booking please say that we are from “PCT Group” as we are using PCT rates.
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Last week:
19 October – Athens – “90 minute KPI presentation/mini-seminar”
19 October – Athens – Seagull- Newslink user forum
19 October – Propeller Club – AGM – Le Havre – SOS campaign – Kuba Szymanski Speaking
21 October – London – Informa – Short MBA course – Kuba Szymanski tutoring
This Week:
25 October – London – Wellington – Solving the Maritime Piracy problem – Wellington – Nigel Cleave Videotel – represented InterManager
26 October – London – Equasis – Editorial Board – Kuba Szymanski representing
27 October – Corporate Social Responsibility Seminar – London – Capital – Kuba Szymanski speaking
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Looking forward:
31 October – SIGTTO – London – LNG as a fuel conference – Kuba Szymanski representing
01 November – SRI – London – Board of Directors
04-05 November – Bristol – Nautical Institute – Command Seminar – Kuba Szymanski Attending
9 November – Brussels – CDI Convention – Kuba Szymanski attending
14 November – Manila – KPI Association ltd – Board Meeting – Alex Albertini, George Hoyt, Rajaish Bajpaee and Kuba Szymanski attending
15 November – Manila AGM
16-17 November – Manila – Manning and Training Conference – Alastair Evitt, Ole Stene, George Hoyt, Markus Schmitz and Kuba Szymanski representing
Discounts for Members:
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Upcoming GAC Training & Service Solutions (GTSS) Training Courses
1st & 2nd Nov 2011-GENEVA-Oil Tanker Operations in Port
9th & 10th Nov 2011-GENEVA-Oil & Shipping Operations
22nd-24th Nov 2011-CORK-A Complete Guide to Bunkering-NEW COURSE!!!!
To enrol please log onto www.nmci.ie/gtss or contact Ms. Joanne Kelleher at nmci@gac.com
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Digital Ship is pleased to announce their autumn conferences and exhibitions.
Taking place in:
Athens (22 & 23 November 2011) and
Istanbul (1 December 2011) these are the leading events for maritime IT, satcom, technical,
electronics and navigation managers who want to know about the latest developments in satellite
communications, maritime software, bridge electronics and technology.
Admission is free of charge for employees of shipping companies.
There are also plenty of networking sessions to meet with business partners, customers and peers.
Please go to www.thedigitalship.com or call +44 20 7017 3411
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27-28 October 2011, Hamburg – Riviera – Ballast Water Treatment Technology Conference, Radisson Blu Hotel
A two day event fully focussed on providing shipowners/operators with the information they need to select the most appropriate long-term system solution for their fleet as the IMO Ballast Water Convention approaches entry into force.
www.rivieramm.com/events
Quote members code IM-002 to claim your 10% Discount
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14 November 2011- London- Informa Workshop: Sale, Purchase & Financing of Vessels
15-16 November 2011, London , Informa -24th International Ship Finance & Investment Conference 2011
Navigating New Realities in the Shipping & Finance Markets
Save 20% courtesy of InterManager, simply enter VIP code: FKT2254IMEM
To Register Phone: +44 (0)20 7017 5511 or Email: maritimecustserv@informa.com
Website: http://www.informaglobalevents.com/FKT2254IMEM
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16-17 November – Manila – Informa – Asia-Pacific Manning & Training Conference 2011 event that you’re speaking at in November.
An exclusive 20% discount for InterManager members
Just quote VIP code FKT2245EMSPK to make the most of the offer. A pdf with this special code is also attached or visit www.informamaritimeevents.com/FKT2245EMSPK for the latest programme or to register.
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17-18 November 2011, London – Riviera – Tanker Safety Conference, Millennium Gloucester Hotel
A two day event focussed on all aspects of operational safety, security and emergency response in the tanker industry, and of direct relevance for charterers, owners, regulators, industry associations, finance and insurance, class, system suppliers and service providers.
www.rivieramm.com/events
Quote members code IM-002 to claim your 10% Discount
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29th November – 1st December Intermodal Europe 2011 takes place in Hamburg
Bringing together a mix of high quality speakers and key exhibitors providing visitors with an invaluable industry forum and promises to be the most successful yet. FREE to attend exhibition & conference. Register at www.intermodal-events.com/im
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5th-6th December – Marine Coatings – Informa, London
InterManager members entitled to a discount of 50% off the lowest tier of brochure fees as follows:
Register by 7th October: £1299- 50% (£649.50) = £629.50 + Tax
Register by 11th November £1399-50% (£699.50) = £699.50 + Tax
Register after 11th November £1499–50% (£749.50) = £749.50 + Tax
Contact: Roxanna Kashfi will be pleased to assist with bookings. Email: Roxanna.Kashfi@informa.com or by telephone +44 (0) 207 017 77161.
http://www.informaglobalevents.com/FKT2283TT
5th-6th December – A Practical Guide to Fuel Management, Ship Performance and Energy Efficiency: Understanding Operational Savings for Shipping – Bonhill House, London
InterManager members entitled to a discount of 50% off the lowest tier of brochure fees as follows:
Register by 7th October: £1299- 50% (£649.50) = £629.50 + Tax
Register by 11th November £1399-50% (£699.50) = £699.50 + Tax
Register after 11th November £1499–50% (£749.50) = £749.50 + Tax
Contact: Roxanna Kashfi will be pleased to assist with bookings. Email: Roxanna.Kashfi@informa.com or by telephone +44 (0) 207 017 77161.
http://www.informaglobalevents.com/FKT2284TT
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19 – 20 January 2012, London – Riviera – Passenger Ship Safety Conference Millennium Gloucester Hotel,
A two day event focussed on all aspects of operational safety, security and emergency response in the passenger shipping industry and offering an opportunity to discuss current and future issues, gather intelligence and network with key industry stakeholders
www.rivieramm.com/events
Quote members code IM-003 to claim your 10% Discount
Capt. Kuba Szymanski
Secretary General
InterManager
+44 7624 498 266
web: www.intermanager.org
Roberto Giorgi Awarded Newsmaker Of The Year
Former InterManager President Roberto Giorgi has been awarded the title Newsmaker Of The Year in the annual Italian Shipping Awards.
In particular, Mr Giorgi’s championing of the rights of seafarers was praised as he received the award at a gala dinner in Italy recently.
Presenting the award to Genoan Mr Giorgi, Peter Attwater said: “Roberto Giorgi began his life in the industry at sea aboard cruise ships, and it is to his lasting credit that he has never forgotten that experience or the men and women that he sailed with in his early years. From that humble beginning he has risen to become president of V Ships, the world’s largest ship management company.
“Throughout his career, he has been a champion of seafarers’ rights, and of the advances in ship safety, on-board training and career-planning that have begun to change the life of the seafarer for the better over recent decades. He has also been at the forefront of efforts to combat criminalisation and piracy — the two scourges of life for those sailing international waters in this modern era.
“He has continued that fight this year, rallying support within the industry and lobbying outside the industry, while continuing to help pilot V.Ships through the economic storm. In raising issues that go to the heart of shipping’s current condition, and its future development, this proud Genoan has also carried the flag for Italy in international fora, adding his name to a long and proud tradition.”
InterManager Secretary General, Captain Kuba Szymanski said: “We are delighted that Roberto has received this well-deserved reward. His work campaigning for seafarers’ rights has been of great benefit to both InterManager, ship managers and the shipping industry as a whole and we are pleased that his efforts have been recognised.”
Crews Refuse To Sail Through Indian Ocean
Crews are demanding to leave vessels about to transit the region if the owner has not been prepared to put a security detachment on board.
One Swedish officer who recently stepped off a vessel about to transit the region told Lloyd’s List, on conditions of anonymity, that he was fearful for his life.
He was working on a slow vessel with a very low freeboard and the European shipowner had decided not to spend money on hiring a security detachment despite doing a risk assessment.
The shipowner comes from a European flag state that has made it clear that armed security is permitted under the right circumstances.
The vessel the officer worked on board, and hopes to return to in a few weeks, is run by a company that had never had to send a vessel through the piracy risk zone. The risk assessment was done too late, and with a predetermined conclusion, the officer claims.
The company, possibly short of money, according to the officer, desperately needed to send the vessel to its destination to secure income for it and was therefore prepared to take the risks with the crew’s lives.
While piracy incidents over the last three years have rarely led to the deaths of seafarers, recent developments are making crews more fearful of this outcome.
The officer said that western, particularly caucasian, crews are more fearful for their lives given the increased levels of violence being shown, the increased risk of being removed from the captured ship and held ashore, and recent incidents where Somali gangs have captured European nationals in Kenya and taken them to Somalia.
When Calixto Caniete, master of the fully laden 1993-built Renuar returns to sea and has to sail through the piracy risk zone in the west Indian Ocean, he will only do so with armed security on board. He is also advising other seafarers to make the same demands.
International Maritime Organization secretary-general Efthimios Mitropoulos said the refusal of crews to transit the region was one of his four worse case scenarios of escalating piracy, along with a cruiseship being boarded, a captured laden tanker causing an environmental disaster and the increased impact of piracy on economic trade.
Shipping Turns A Blind Eye To Human Cost Of Piracy
The international shipping community is being accused of ignoring the plight of seafarers held in captivity after their vessels are captured off the Somalia coast.
Humanitarian groups say the psychological plight of crews who are being beaten, starved and deprived of basic human rights while in the hands of the pirates has been forgotten as the industry focuses on the commercial impact of the problem.
Although deaths while being held captive are rare, there have been reports that the poor conditions crew are kept in have led to heart attacks or strokes for some.
The Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme has been launched with funds from a number of maritime organisations, including the TK Foundation. MPHRP chairman Peter Swift said more needed to be done to push awareness of the trauma facing crews once they are hijacked.
Very few crew members have spoken publicly of the trauma, fear and suffering they are subject to. One of the first is Calixto Caniete, master of Renuar.
In an exclusive video that can be viewed at pirates.lloydslist.com, he shares vivid details of more than four months held hostage.
After being bound, beaten, starved and mentally tortured, Capt Caniete has yet to go back to sea after drugged gun-wielding Somalia pirates threatened to kill the crew when ransom negotiations stalled.
Shipowners need to be more aware of their humanitarian responsibilities, he told Lloyd’s List in an exclusive interview. It is the crew that run their ships, he said, and the owners need crews.
He has only now, months after being freed once a ransom was finally paid, begun to tell his story. It took him weeks to accept an invitation to go to the World Maritime University anti piracy conference in Malmö last week to spend ten minutes calling for more awareness to the plight of crews, particularly ones from Asian countries that get forgotten.
The 70,156 dwt Renuar was sailing towards Fujairah after leaving Mauritius with a full cargo of grain when in the early daylight hours of December 11 last year it was attacked.
The ship was 550 miles off India, 1,050 miles off the Somali coast and close to the Maldives. It was heading north on a course given to it by the UK Maritime Trade Organization’s centre in Dubai, where it had been sending daily position reports, when it ran straight into a waiting pirate mothership.
Capt Caniete had been putting the crew through ant-piracy drills, the ship’s railings were covered in barbed wire and the fire hoses rigged to pump water over the side of the ship at the press of a button. Dummy watchkeepers had been rigged around the side of the ship to make it look like they had more than the 25 crew onboard. But it was not enough on a large, slow drybulk vessel with a low freeboard.
The pirate mothership launched a skiff and began firing at the bulk vessel using AK47s, rocket propelled grenades and machine guns. The captain hit the emergency distress alarm that alerted both the naval forces in the region and the ship’s owners. In the six hours that the Renuar sustained the attack from the two pirate vessels no help arrived.
“I had to remain brave and show courage for the crew’s sake,” said Capt Caniete, who admitted he was scared throughout the attack.
Renuar and its Filippino crew were held for 133 days. During the long process of haggling over the ransom payment the crew’s families were being kept up to date. Capt Caniete’s wife was three months pregnant at the time of its capture. On more than one occasion she was told that he had been killed or about to be killed due to stalled ransom payments.
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Four months in the hands of Somali pirates Renuar master Calixto Caniete relives horror of hijacking ordeal Craig Eason – Monday 24 October 2011
THE previously untold experiences of the crew of the bulk carrier Renuar , held captive for 133 days, are typical of those of other ships held captive, some for over a year.
Renuar master Calixto Caniete had to hold a stoic front before his crew to ensure they were led through the ordeal safely.
When the pirates got on board, they were angry, both at having taken so long to capture the ship, and because they claimed one of them had drowned falling off a ladder they tried to use on the stern of the ship.
The crew were corralled on to the ship’s bridge, beaten, and told to sail towards the Somali coastline, beginning four month’s of torture and fear as the vessel’s owner began ransom payments.
Surprisingly for the captain, the pirates knew how to use the satellite communication equipment on board and would take photographs of the crew and send them off to the ship’s owner to show how serious they were about their ransom demands.
“When they got fed up with the company over the long negotiations over the ransom they said they would kill us,” Capt Caniete said. “They were aggressive and there was no indication they were joking.” Each time they threatened to kill him, he had to believe they were serious.
The crew were given barely edible rice to eat and yellowish water to drink, and kept continually under armed watch, night and day, for the whole duration of their captivity.
Capt Caniete was singled out for punishment.
When the Somalis on board heard a rumour the ship had gold bars on board they forced Capt Caniete into one of the laden holds full of fumigated grain and forced him to dig for hours at gunpoint.
“I kept begging them to let me stop, telling them there was no gold, but they just did not listen,” he said.
He was also repeatedly humiliated by the pirates who never let him have more than a minute of privacy in the bathroom before opening the door and threatening him with their guns.
Capt Caniete tried to ensure his crew were not punished too. He told the pirates to punish him when a crew error led to the fresh water being salty. He was smashed in the ribs repeatedly with the butt of the pirates’ guns.
“Everyday they were chewing khat or some substance. If they did not have it they were very aggressive. Once they had it they were more relaxed, but at midnight they were evil.”
Capt Caniete said the pirates may have wanted to use Renuar as a mothership.
“At one point they told us to sail northeast, but I managed to convince the commander we have no more fuel,” he said. “I was lucky he listened.”
He dreamt of a rescue being made, he said, but none came.
As he and his crew were being kept in the same area as many of the pirates on board, Capt Caniete knew the crew were being used as a shield to prevent any rescue attempt being made.
Insurers Offer Discounts For Armed Guards
A number of kidnap and ransom insurers are demanding the presence of armed guards on vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean before they will provide cover, and others are offering discounts of up to 35% to shipowners employing private security firms for voyages in high-risk areas.
For an average vessel valued at $20m, the starting price for a policy is in the region of $35,000 for a seven-day transit of the Gulf of Aden. With armed guards on board and a K&R policy in place, a discount of 35% would represent a saving of $12,250.
While no insurer was prepared to confirm they were offering such discounts or requiring the use of armed guards when underwriting policies, some told Lloyd’s List they offered some form of discount on the war rate for vessels transiting pirate hotspots.
Reductions in premiums are made for the use of private security, as well as for vessels that have a K&R policy and those that have implemented Best Management Practice 3 or 4.
When asked if he was aware of underwriters offering discounts for armed guards, Lloyd’s Market Association senior executive Neil Roberts said: “I’m sure it’s true, but this is very firmly an area that is entirely down to the risk assessment of the individual underwriters. In short, it’s a market and some underwriters will give discounts and some will not.
“If you talked to X or Y underwriter they would be passionate on their approach as polarised views are strongly held.”
Watkins Syndicate underwriter Emma Russell said discounts for the use of armed guards were considered in the London market, and that this consideration would vary from underwriter to underwriter, and would be subject to the level of information given.
Individual insurers may be reluctant to confirm the offering of such discounts, or indeed any formal requirement for the employment of private security firms, as it is a contentious issue for flag and coastal states.
Several states, including France, Greece and Japan, prohibit the use of armed guards on board vessels. This would have legal and liability implications if a vessel was to come under attack in waters where the coastal state did not authorise the use of armed guards or if the practice was not permitted by its flag state.
This would become particularly evident if the attack resulted in any casualties. As yet, no vessel with armed guards on board has been successfully hijacked.
International Shipping Federation secretary-general Peter Hinchcliffe said that while he understood why the use of armed guards would mitigate risk for underwriters, he regretted that the situation had got to this stage.
“The industry is being squeezed and the international response to piracy isn’t working. It is the obligation of flag states to preserve safety on the high seas and the use of armed guards cannot become institutionalised,” he said.
“We cannot afford to go down the path where the use of armed guards becomes part and parcel of dealing with piracy. This can only be a temporary measure.”
Mr Hinchcliffe said he was “vehemently against” making armed guards a requirement in a policy. “Beyond anything else it would rely on the presumption that there are actually enough security firms to cope with this,” he said.
One prominent private sector security provider said that it was up to insurance providers to determine their pricing arrangements, but that providing a discount to those ready to use a service that is a proven deterrent seemed logical.
“If insurance companies are offering more competitive rates to certain shipowners for using private security providers, this would be a welcome inducement,” he added.
The Security Association for the Maritime Industry currently has 70 members. This number has risen from the 58 members SAMI founder Peter Cook announced at the International Union of Marine Insurance in September.
The International Maritime Organization issued guidelines in May (revised in September), which state that shipowners must follow flag state jurisdiction and any laws and regulations imposed by the flag state concerning the use of private security companies. It noted that port and coastal states’ laws might also apply to such vessels.
The guidance makes clear that the use of armed guards should not be considered as an alternative to BMP and that effective self-protection is the key to avoiding, evading and deterring pirate attacks.
Owners Gun For Guards in Indian Ocean
The demand for armed protection has boomed since the IMO issued security guidelines.
Demand for armed guards in the Indian Ocean has rocketed since the introduction of guidelines on using security companies, says one of the largest private military-style operators in the region.
Dominic Mee, who heads Protection Vessels International (PVI), which uses ex-British Royal Marines, thinks increased security is a must as he predicts one of the most active and violent piracy campaigns ever is about to begin.
Commenting on last month’s guidelines from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Mee said: “When the IMO guidelines came out there was a big increase in requests for protection services and we have had to increase capacity in the region. The market still has some scope to expand.”
Mee says there has been a sea change in attitudes on the use of armed guards in shipping.
“When we first started we were offering patrol-boat vessel-escort services because the idea was to keep the guns off ships. Now the biggest part of our business is providing on-board security guards,” he explained.
The IMO guidelines, he believes, help owners feel confident about using security firms, as there is an emphasis on auditing.
“We welcome the guidelines because they give the industry good guidance and it has made the business more professional,” he said.
“We have no problem with shipowners who want to visit us and see how we work,” he added.
Mee estimates there could be 1,000 men working in the region protecting shipping. The rate for standard protection for ships in Asia heading to the Mediterranean through Suez is around $50,000.
But there are savings to be made from potentially smaller insurance premiums and reduced fuel costs thanks to cutting speed in the danger area. But it is usually the crew that gets the most benefit from an added sense of safety that professional armed guards bring.
“We get a lot of satisfaction when we get on board and see the relief on the crew’s face that they know they have protection from ex-Royal Marines,” Mee said.
PVI has had 31 confrontations with pirates but, says Mee, no one has been injured. The strategy is to show there is an armed force on board and that is often enough.
Mee believes the Somali famine and a lack of funds at the Al Shabab terrorist organisation, suspected of being a benefactor of piracy, threatens to make pirates more desperate.
“We have seen pirates getting more violent than before. The situation in Somalia will up the ante even more,” added Mee.
Stop Paying Pirates, Puntland President Pleads
Shipowners paying ransoms to pirates are unwittingly supporting the Islamist group al-Shabaab, according to the President of Puntland State of Somalia, Abdirahman Mohamud Farole.
Speaking in London, President Farole issued a strong condemn-ation of pirates operating within Somalia but advised the only way to completely stop vessels being hijacked was to stop paying ransoms.
Pledging support to Somalia’s embattled Transitional Federal Government, President Farole said his government would continue to fight piracy with the meagre resources at its disposal but demanded that ransom payments to pirates should stop immediately. He added that he is lobbying internationally to ensure that ransom payments are made illegal.
“If we stop the ransom payments we will eradicate the problem,” he told the meeting held at Chatham House.
Despite close attention from intelligence agencies and private security investigating the links between Somali pirate gangs and the terrorist al-Shabaab network, no firm evidence of financial support or operational co-operation has yet been made public. Speaking at the meeting, however,
President Farole insisted that money paid to pirates was filtering through to terrorist cells and destabilising his country as a result.
According to the president a total of 240 pirates are currently being held in Puntland prisons, but he conceded that there was an overwhelming lack of correctional facilities available within the state.
Puntland’s attempts to fight piracy have been limited but regional sponsorship of a private security-backed training programme and coastguard force to combat piracy ashore had gained momentum recently.
That programme, backed by the United Arab Emirates government, is still on ice following political pressure, thought to have emanated from the US state department.
Saracen International, the private security firm widely linked to Erik Prince who founded the international security giant Xe Services formally known as Blackwater, signed a letter of intent last year to train more counter-piracy troops with the backing of the regional authorities and funding from an undisclosed Arab state.
As Lloyd’s List revealed earlier this year, the firm had already trained several hundred troops in counter-piracy and the letter of intent was for a further contract to train around 1,000 more. That process has now stopped thanks to what President Farole described as political interference from outside states.
The interference President Farole was referring to came from the US State Department and the UN Political Office Somalia where high-level diplomats had privately raised serious concerns about the lack of legal infrastructure to support any privately trained domestic anti-piracy forces.
Saeed Mohamed Rage, Puntland’s minister of marine transport, ports and counter-piracy, told Lloyd’s List that he had invited UN agencies to inspect the Saracen-trained forces, but until approval had been given, the contract remained in limbo. Mr Rage confirmed yesterday that the contract had not changed and that no further activity had been allowed to take place while negotiations were continuing.
While Mr Rage had previously refused to reveal where the financing to establish the counter-piracy force had come from, he confirmed that the money had in fact come from the UAE government, which had pledged support to fight piracy within the state.
Mr Rage said he was unclear whether the piracy force would now be allowed to proceed and declined to offer any details regarding current private security involvement in the country.
