Sea hijackings lose lure amid falling public support

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has declined significantly since 2011, a new report reveals.

A report by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) indicates that declining public support may be the reason the attacks have fallen.

The report released in September says in part: “The high value ships have moved away from the coast forcing pirates to travel much further before finding their targets.”

According to the report, defensive capacities of the vessels and the rise of private armed security on board the extended range means increasing number of pirates are lost at sea.

For many pirates, ransom negotiations have also become protracted, requiring the “investors” to support pirates and their hostages for many months before seeing any returns.

The report further reveals that the vice has lost much of its attraction as would-be pirates never make a profit. After 2011, the number of piracy attacks dropped compared to April 2009 when pirates hijacked 16 ships.

“As the proceeds of piracy have driven up the cost of everything in the communities where pirates live, extended negotiations has seriously undercut the return on investment,” said the report.

It adds that piracy requires collusion of many individuals including financiers and seamen negotiators, among others, hence a successful hijacking including negotiations can involve considerable investment.

The International Maritime Bureau in 2011 counted 111 pirate deaths of which 70 per cent of the attackers were killed by national navies, 27 per cent died in clashes between pirates and two per cent were killed by Puntland security forces.

Kenya has been at the forefront in prosecuting suspected pirates arrested off the Somali coast by the international naval forces. Over 100 suspected Somali pirates have been charged at the Mombasa law courts with various piracy-related offences since the 2008.

In 2006 even before international forces ventured in Somalia, Kenya prosecuted its first piracy case against 10 Somali nationals. They were found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison. Their appeal was rejected and they have since been repatriated after they completed their jail terms.

Several convicted pirates are currently serving their terms at various prisons in the country. Another factor cited in the decline of piracy is the increased aggressiveness of international enforcement.

The report states that in the past, the international community was dependent on national and local authorities to take action against pirates.

The recent operations by international forces on Somali soil may be having an impact although decline of piracy appears to have began a year before the operations.

In March 2012, the mandate of the European Union Naval Force operation (Atlanta) was extended to include Somali coastal territory and internal waters.

“Unless the character of piracy changes or the international attention wanes this trend is likely to continue. While maritime hijackings for ransom are on the rise in other parts of the world there is hope that they will fade in eastern Africa,” the report said.