Saturday 4 October 2008

London, October, 28 (Somali Press Review)—A new report from Chatham House on the Somali pirates has implicated Somali president in the surge in piracy

London, October, 28 (Somali Press Review)—A new report from Chatham House on the Somali pirates has implicated Somali president in the surge in piracy off the coast of Somalia. The report coincides with the ongoing standoff between the US warship and Somali pirates who seized the Ukrainian cargo vessel carrying tanks and other weapons.
The report is an in-depth analysis of the threat Somali pirates pose not only to cargo ships but also to ships carrying relief supplies for drought stricken and war ravaged people in Somalia.
“ Money [ from piracy ] will go to [president] Yusuf as a gesture of goodwill to a regional leader” , Roger Middleton, the report writer quoted an expert on Somalia as saying although the Somali president thanked the French president , Sarkozy, for the French navy’s action to capture Somali pirates now on trial in Paris.
The Somali president’s remarks further angered pirates who overwhelmed Puntland security structure and caused more mayhem on the high seas. Somali Press Review asked Roger Middleton of Chatham House’s Africa Programme, if there was solid evidence showing the Somali president’s pecuniary association with the pirates. “Because of the lack of stability in Somalia it is very hard to trace payments, “Roger Middleton said. The Somali presidency has not so far challenged the quote in the Chatham House report.
© Somali Press Review 2008

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