Somali Piracy Conference in Malaysia

Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa

Somali Piracy

No Action Talk Only, 'NATO' at work again in True Malaysian Style, at a conference (talking shop) in Malaysia.

Verbal diarrhoea is once again rife, thus the outcome of the much boasted about meeting in Kuala Lumpur is, it seems, zero.

Nothing concrete was decided and the Somali pirates continue to demand and are paid millions of US$ in ransoms.

I have said this before, and will repeat it here once again.

What is needed is a no nonsense approach, pirates should be treated as such, if apprehended carrying out an act of piracy on the high seas, they should be blown out of the water and eliminated, that is all it takes.

Remove them from the equation, man by man, boat by boat, mother ship by mother ship.

After a very short time these pirate gangs will realise that their game is up and they will abandon their quest for an easy buck.

Of course ransoms must never ever be paid, as this is the root of the problem and simply encourages the pirates and perpetuates their activities.

I realise that there are problems to figure out who is a pirate and who is a fisherman, but surely it is not too difficult to determine this.

To hell with namby pamby p c attitudes, let it be open-season on the Somali Pirates.

Mare liberum, An open sea

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The navies of the world must unite, get tough, and once and for all rid the world of these somali pirates, it will not take very long if the effort is tough, united, sustained and unforgiving

See what Lloyds List had to say, it is reproduced below:

“Action, not words

THE Malaysian government this week brought together delegations from 66 nations to discuss how to tackle the pressing issue of piracy off Somalia.

With delegates including Somali officials from both the transitional government and the Puntland autonomous region, the meeting presented an as yet unparalleled opportunity to thrash out a solution.

A draft statement from the meeting was surprisingly bold by the standards of diplomatic language. All 66 delegations agreed to invite the United Nations to establish an international maritime force to combat piracy off Somalia.

Such an agreement would be a major step in establishing a more permanent solution than having naval forces from 20 countries stationed off the coast.

Unfortunately, it appears the statement was too bold for many present at the meeting. The final statement was no longer from all the delegations present but from the chairman alone. The term “agreed” had disappeared, to be replaced with “noted”.

Many delegations were not comfortable with putting their country’s name explicitly to the statement. That is a shame, as a broad-based agreement to push the issue at a global level with the UN is required.

How many more meetings will it take before countries agree to take action and mandate an international body to tackle the problem head on, rather than the piecemeal fashion seen to date?”

Mors ultima ratio

Death is the final accounting

Mortui non mordant

Dead men don't bite

Malaysian PM says release of two Malaysian tankers was God's gift!!!

PULVERISE THE SOMALI PIRATES

IT WAS NOT GOD'S GIFT, IT WAS THE POWER OF US$ 4 MILLION,

in ransoms paid to pirates.

BERNAMA REPORTS THIS:

“Release Of Pirate-held MISC Vessels God's Hari Raya Gift, Says PM

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Tuesday described as God's "Hari Raya" gift the release of the two MISC Berhad tankers seized by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden last month.

"This is a Hari Raya (Aidilfitri) gift from God to us, especially the families of the crew of MT Bunga Melati 2 and MT Bunga Melati 5," he told Bernama when commenting on the release of the two ships.

Abdullah said he was grateful for the release of MT Bunga Melati 2 yesterday and the safety of the vessel's crew. The pirates had released MT Bunga Melati 5 on Sunday.

"I am also happy to know that the Royal Malaysia Navy team we sent there has discharged its duties with dedication and good judgment. I extend my appreciation to them for having striven to secure the release of both our vessels," he said.

Both the vessels were held by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden for more than 40 days."

MISC Berhad chairman Hassan Marican conveyed the news of the release of MT Bunga Melati Dua, the second vessel to be released early yesterday soon after he got news of the release.

Hassan when

"Asked how much ransom was paid to the pirates for the release of the two vessels, he said: "I do not want to state the amount. Of more importance is that the negotiations were successful and the crew members have been released.”

Link HERE

The total amount paid in ransom was US $ 4 million (RM 18.8 million):

Source Lloyds List 29^th September 2008:

Both the Bunga Melati Lima and the Stella Maris and their crews were released at the weekend with ransoms totaling US $4m reported to have been paid.

A ransom of US $2m was reportedly paid for the release of the Bunga Melati Lima. As yet the shipowner MISC has made no statement on the release of the vessel.

On Saturday the Panama-flagged supramax Stella Maris and its crew of 20 Filipinos was also reported to have been released after a US $2m ransom was paid.

The other MISC tanker the Bunga Melati Dua hijacked 10-days earlier in the Gulf of Aden continues to be held by the Somali pirates and negotiations for its release are ongoing.

The chemical tanker Bunga Melati Dua hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on August 19 and its crew of 38 were freed early on Monday after MISC reportedly paid a US $2m ransom.

Lloyds List 30^th September 2008:

The remaining MISC tanker held by Somali pirates was released on Monday following a ransom payment by the shipowner.

The chemical tanker Bunga Melati Dua hijacked in the Gulf of Aden on August 19 and its crew of 38 were freed early on Monday after MISC reportedly paid a $2m ransom.

The BERNAMA story above, is a very misleading, and is seeminly based on what is a typical politically manipulative statement by the PM.

The release certainly had nothing to do with the Royal Malaysian Navy, and certainly nothing to do with God.

It was just about $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Ransoms reportedly totally US $ 4 million were paid out to the pirates, whilst it is very good news that the vessels and their crew are released, it is in my view counter productive to pay ransoms, especially to pirates.

Such hijackings should be prevented by strict coordinated naval action,;the pirates should be strictly dealt with as exactly what they are, common pirates, they should be aggressively attacked, their boats sunk, and no survivors should be taken.

Not a politically correct course of action, of course, but it will certainly be most effective, piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the coasts of Somalia will very soon stop.

Ut humiliter opinor

In my humble opinion

Somali Pirates Continue to Attack Merchant Vessels

Google Earth satellite view of the Indian Ocean.
At the right the Malaysian Peninsular, at the left the Gulf of Aden,
in the centre Malé the capital of the Maldives.

(Click on image for full size view)

South Korean Cargo Ship Hijacked by Somali pirates

A South Korean cargo ship manned by Korean and foreign sailors was reported to have been hijacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, sources said.

Eight Korean sailors and an unknown number of other nationalities were on the ship when it was seized at 07:00 GMT on 10^th September 2008.

Somali waters are the most dangerous in the world for piracy. The International Maritime Bureau has received reports of more than 24 attacks in the area between April and June 2008, but many incidents go unreported.

Somali pirates operate using very fast, high-powered speedboats and carry weapons such as heavy machine guns and rocket propelled grenades, etc.

When will the next Malaysian flagged vessel be hijacked off Somalia?

Are the three RMN vessels still safely at anchor, about three thousand miles away, near the Maldives, south of India, mid-way between Malaysia and the Gulf of Aden?

The Malaysia naval vessels are reported to be:

One fighting ship:

KD Lekui (F30)

Frigate, launched in December 1994 (UK) and commission in 1999, maximum speed about 28 knots.

Two logistical support vessels:

KD Sri Inderapura (L-1505) (ex-USS Spartanburg County (LST 1192)

Tank-landing ship, Keel laid, 7th February 1970, at National Steel and Shipbuilding Corp, San Diego, CA. USA.

Launched, 7 November 1970

Commissioned USS Spartanburg County (LST-1192), 1st September 1971, maximum speed 27 knots (reported in 1971)

Decommissioned and Struck from the Naval Register, 16th December 1994

Sold to Malaysia for $18.7 million, under the Security Assistance Program.

Renamed RMN KD Sri Inderapura (L-1505)

Commissioned into the Royal Malaysian Navy, 31st January 1995.

Maximum speed unknown.

KD Mahawangsa (L-1504)

Multi-role support ship.

Built 1992 (Korea) Commissioned 1983.

Maximum speed about 17 knots.

Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit

He who is not prepared today will be less so tomorrow.

Who is telling the truth?

HDMS ABSALON

A recent photo of MISC Containership Bunga Seroja Satu

Photo source

MISC, or the Royal Danish Navy?

Must be the Royal Danish Navy, why would they lie?

Malaysian International Shipping Corporation (MISC) has denied that a third vessel from its fleet was attacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden, as attempted hijackings by Somali Pirates continue on a daily basis.

The Royal Danish Navy were reported to have stated that on Sunday 7^th September 2008, one of their warships the HDMS Absalon, came to the assistance of the large MISC containership Bunga Seroja Satu (7,943 teu) in the Gulf of Aden as it was being chased by four pirate boats.

According to the Royal Danish Navy the HDMS Absalon responded to an emergency call had been received from the Bunga Seroja Satu, and that at the same time a helicopter the same warship was helping the Chevron owned tanker Front Voyager from being boarded by pirates.

A combination of manoeuvres involving rapid course changes made by Bunga Seroja Satu combined with the arrival of the HDMS Absalon the suspected pirates, soon gave up their attempt to board and retreated from the area.

See Lloyds List HERE

This question needs an answer.

Where are the Royal Malaysian Navy warships?

NSTP report of 8th September 2008, HERE

but two days later the story has changed HERE

The bog-standard Malaysia government misinformation continues

Veritas vincit

Truth conquers

THE LUCRATIVE PIRACY BUSINESS CONTINUES IN THE WATERS OFF SOMALIA

Somali pirates have hijacked another vessel, this time an Egyptian vessel on Thursday 4^th September 2008, this latest hijacking increases the total number of vessels being held in the waters of the failed state of Somalia to an estimated ten.

Andrew Mwangura, head of the Mombasa, Kenya based Seafarers Assistance Programme, informed the media:

“The nationality of the crew members, the size and type of ship and the destination of the ship isn’t clear yet.”

Meanwhile, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which operates the worldwide piracy incident reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, stated it was aware of reports on the case, but it had not, as yet, been notified of the seizure by the vessel’s operators.

[Update:

The yacht hijacked yesterday was reported to be French-owned, and carried Venezuela-flag, the two persons on board are thought to be residents French Polynesia.]

Up to date, this year, 2008, Somali pirates have hijacked a total about 30 vessels, in extracting large ransoms for ship-owners for the safe return of the ship and crew.

This weakness in giving in to extortion by paying ransoms has simply fuelled the problem, by providing lucrative monetary incentives for the growing number of Somali pirates.

Ahmed Saed Ow-Nur, (Puntland’s minister for fisheries and marine resources), has stated:

“We have no power to control the multiplying numbers of pirates.

Even some of the Puntland police are involved in piracy, because they can make a hell of a lot of money.”

Noli nothis permittere te terere

Don't let the bastards get you down

Ne cede malis

Yield not to evils

MALAYSIA SENDS IN THE ARMED FORCES

SOMALI PIRATES versus THE MALAYSIA ARMED FORCES

[AND TASK FORCE 150] IN THE GULF OF ADEN

The Insignia of the Malaysian Armed Forces

Najib Razak

A Malaysian navy frigate and a naval support and supply ship have reached the vicinity of the mid Indian Ocean, near the Maldives Islands whilst a third naval ship will be setting sail from Malaysia very soon to participate in security duties for Malaysian ships sailing through the Gulf of Aden.

Malaysia’s DPM [who also acts as defence minster] Najib Razak has been reported, in the local media, as saying that an unspecified number of servicemen from the navy, army and the air force are on board the three naval ships which have been ordered to protect five vessels of the Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Bhd (MISC) now sailing in the pirate-infested region, as well as other Malaysian flagged vessels transiting the Gulf of Aden.

“The fleet is expected to reach the area within the next three to four days, depending on their speed and weather conditions,” Najib said

Meanwhile:

The vessel seized by Somali pirates yesterday, 3^rd September 2008, is reported to be a French yacht with two passengers on board, the name of the vessel, is not yet known.

However, according to French reports, the vessel is the 24 metre luxury yacht Carré d’As.

This new hijacking, if officially confirmed, brings the number of vessels known to be in the hands of Somali pirates up to nine, including the two Malaysian tankers recently hijacked.

Initial fears that a passenger ship had been taken, have been refuted, it seems that the yacht was believed on course for detention near the coastal village of Eyl.

A Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) was established to provide merchant shipping with safe passage through the Gulf of Aden, as yet, this coalition naval operation, named Task Force 150, is under the command of a Canadian naval officer, does not seems to be as effective as had been hoped, as the hijacking of vessels continues.

The action of Malaysia to send two warships (see above) and a naval supply vessel to the Gulf of Aden has raised questions regarding how this unilateral naval flotilla will co-ordinate with the Coalition Task Force, which organises coalition naval forces operations in the Gulf of Aden, including the MSPA.

The MSPA was created in August 2008, as part of a short-term solution to help deter piracy and other destabilising activities in the area, in conjunction with the international Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Maritime Bureau (IMB) and others.

A representative of CTF150 has reportedly stated:

“Even with the establishment of this patrol area, coalition vessels may not be close by to a ship being threatened, especially if they are not in the designated patrol area.”

“To continue to deter destabilising activities successfully, coalition efforts must be complemented by proactive measures by commercial shippers, regional governments and the international community.”

The debate about which Somali elements are responsible for the acts of piracy is continuing, after the warlord recently named as the mastermind of such activities recently held a press conference in Mogadishu and he accused critics of seeking to tarnish his name.

Yusuf Mohamed Siad (better known by the nickname Inda’ade) has been accused, by Andrew Mwangura, head of the Seafarers’ Assistance Programme in the neighbouring country of Kenya, of organising piracy in order to fund Islamic insurgency.

But Inda’ade argued that Adde Muse, president of the northern breakaway region of Puntland, was stoking up piracy to fund a re-election campaign. Puntland officials however were quick to deny this.

Pax vobiscum


Peace (be) with you

SOMALI PIRATES HIJACK ANOTHER VESSEL

A vessel carrying an unspecified number of French tourists has been hijacked off the Somali coast, officials say.

The BBC reports that a delegation of officials from the semi-autonomous northern Somali region of Puntland has gone to Eyl port to investigate the report.

In April 2008, French commandos made six arrests in a helicopter raid against pirates after they freed a French yacht's crew.

The waters off the coast of Somalia have the highest rates of piracy in the world.

Somalia has been without a functioning central government for 17 years and has suffered from continual civil strife, some countries, but as far as I am aware, not Malaysia, continue do business there.

"It is from France but we don't know whether it is a yacht or cruise ship,"

"We don't have details but it seems there are some tourists on board."

Andrew Mwangura, head of the East Africa Seafarers' Assistance Programme, reportedly told Reuters news agency.

Diligite justitiam, O judices terrae

Cherish justice, O judges of the earth

Dimidium facti qui coepit habet



Half is done when the beginning is done.

Vessel Hijacking off the Somali Coast

THE AFFECTED AREA, OFF THE HORN OF AFRICA

THE MENACE ARE THE SOMALI PIRATE DEVILS

MISC places Gulf of Aden out of bounds after second vessel hijacked.

Malaysian international Shipping Corporation (MISC) has stopped its ships from entering the Gulf of Aden after two of its tankers were hijacked in the past two weeks; this effectively means that MISC vessels will not be using the Suez canal (see below)

“Following the recent hijacking of Bunga Melati Dua and Bunga Melati Lima and the spike of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia, MISC has with immediate effect put a halt on all its vessels from entering the Gulf of Aden until additional security measures by MISC are in place to enhance the safety of its vessels and crew,” MISC said on 2^nd September 2008.

A company spokeswoman declined to comment on how long it would take to implement the measures. The move to implement extra security comes on top of existing preventative measures that were in place on board Bunga Melati Lima when it was stormed by pirates and hijacked on 29^th August 2008.

MISC is making an unprecedented move by temporarily excluding its vessels from a key waterway linking east and west due to the impact of piracy.

An annual total of about 20,000 vessels of all flags and all types transit the gulf of Aden and Red Sea waterways heading to and from the Suez Canal.

“It’s a very drastic measure. Does this mean they are not going to sail to Europe?” asked a shipping industry executive.

MISC, which operates a fleet of 108 own vessels, and also chartered vessel, has a presence on the Asia-Europe container trades and some of its tankers also trade between Europe and Asia.

Bunga Melati Dua was heading from Dumai, Indonesia to Rotterdam on 19^th August 2008, when it was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden.

A total, 70 MISC employed seafarers are now being held hostage on the two hijacked vessels.

The company said that it is negotiating for the release of the crew of Bunga Melati Dua, but communications are yet to be established with the other vessel, Bunga Melati Lima, which was last sighted off the coast of Somalia.

One Filipino crew member, of Bunga Melati Dua, was killed by gunfire when the vessel was initially attacked by the pirates, the remain crew members are reported to be safe. The crews of both vessels consist of persons of Malaysian and Filipino nationality.

The East African Seafarers’ Assistance Programme stated that the pirates have demanded US$4.7m to release the Benga Melati Lima and its sister ship, and a further US$3.5m to free a Japanese-managed bulk carrier that was hijacked on 20th July 2008 in the same area.

It is understood that all the hijacked vessels are being held near the remote village of Eyl, where an estimated 130 crew members in total are being kept captive by the pirate gangs. A total of eight vessels and their respective crew members are currently being held by Somali pirates.

Apart from MISC, the vessels shipowners are from Japan, Thailand, Nigeria, Iran and Germany.

Anti-piracy watchdog, the International Maritime Bureau, continues to advise all ships in the Gulf of Aden Region to maintain a strict around-the clock anti-piracy watch, and to only ply so called ‘secure corridors’ set up by coalition naval forces.

The Malaysian National News Agency BERNAMA reported that the Malaysia's Deputy PM Najib Razak said that a Malaysian navy elite squad was on its way to the Somalian coast to safeguard four other MISC vessels now in the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden.

"Our priority is the safety of our sailors".

The Malaysian armed forces chief stated:-

“The Malaysian armed forces have yet to receive any request for military assistance to free the crew of two MISC Berhad vessels seized by pirates last month in the Gulf of Aden.”

‘There was no necessity as yet for military intervention as the MISC was seeking a solution through negotiations.’

“The Malaysian armed forces have yet to receive any request for military assistance to free the crew of two MISC Berhad vessels seized by pirates last month in the Gulf of Aden.”

“There was no necessity as yet for military intervention as the MISC was seeking a solution through negotiations.”

“We sent two warships there (the Gulf of Aden) last Saturday but only to monitor the situation,”

Malaysia’s Chief of Defence Forces General Abdul Aziz Zainal was reported by BERNAMA as saying on Tuesday 2^nd September 2008.

Meanwhile, the shipping publication ‘Fairplay’ reports:-

“All Belgian-flagged vessels will be fitted with Long Range Identification Tracking devices by the end of 2009 in response to the increasing threat of piracy, according to news reports.

Belgium’s director-general of shipping Frans Van Rompuy said the government is exploiting available systems that the military already have. The director-general’s department is working with the military and Nato with the eventual plan that if a Belgian vessel should get into trouble, they would intervene.

He said: “This approach is far more practical than before because we would then have had to rely on [a ship’s] position plans.” Under the Long Range Identification Tracking system, vessels automatically report their position at least four times a day.

When a vessel is identified going off the planned course, the Belgian government could have the vessel continuously tracked without the crew having to do anything, he said.

“We are not completely there yet operationally but we want to improve the response,” Mr Van Rompuy said.

The maritime community is also working with the military on contingency plans so they know who is going to do what in the event of an attack.”

Click on the image below to see a detailed map showing the locations of hijackings in the area off the coast of Somalia from 2005 up to the end of 2007

UNOSAT Map showing details of pirate attacks off the Somali coast

UNOSAT released the map above, showing pirate activity off the coast of Somalia during the period 2005 to 2007.

The piracy problem off the coast of Somali can only be solved by the combined efforts of maritime nations; strong, forceful, effective and uncompromising action is long overdue to eliminate the Somali pirates, this must be done with or without the support of the Somali authorities.

Ransoms should not be paid, since this will further encourage the Somali pirates to hijack more vessels

THIS PIRACY MUST BE STOPPED

Bella detesta matribus

Wars, the horror of mothers

DEFEAT THE PIRATES

Possunt quia posse videntur

They can because they think they can

DEFEAT THE PIRATES

Vi et armis

By force and arms