Piracy attacks off Somali coast ‘drop sharply’

By Philip Mwakio

Piracy attacks off the Somali coast have dropped significantly over the past 18-months, the latest count by the International Maritime Bureau reveals.

In its most recent bulletin seen by The Standard, the bureau shows that piracy attacks and hijackings dropped from 32 ships and 736 hostages held in January 2011 to 1 ship (FV Naham) and 50 hostages (from 11 nations) being held of late.

And the drop in piracy appears to have spurred shipping between the port of Mombasa and Mogadishu.

Meanwhile, one of Mombasa’s most modern freight firms, Focus Container Freight Station (CFS), has announced the commencement of direct shipment of cargo to Mogadishu from the port of Mombasa effective October 30.

In a paid up advertisement, the firm stated that it had partnered with Banadir Gate and Universal Navigation PTE Ltd to begin trans-shipment of cargo directly from Mombasa port to Mogadishu.

“This is an effort to reduce excessive road transport costs, CFS-related costs and increase transport efficiency. The vessels will load containers and loose cargo from Mombasa and thus minimise storage and other transport related inefficiencies,” Focus CFS said in the advertisement on Tuesday.

The drop in piracy attacks is attributed to the presence of international naval forces and the increased use of self protection measures and private armed security teams by the maritime industry.

Somalis themselves have also become less tolerant of pirates living in their midst and the negative impact they have had on their country.

European Union (EU) Naval Force Liaison Officer in charge of Kenya and Tanzania, Commander Francois Maressxaux, said an estimated USD330 million was paid out as ransom between 2009 and 2013.

“The successful cooperation and coordination that has built up over the past four-years between the international naval forces and the maritime industry has made it difficult for pirates to get out to sea undetected, and when they have their efforts have been thwarted by naval forces or well-equipped merchant ships,” he said.

In May last year, the EU Naval Force carried out an operation dubbed the ‘pirate logistics dump’, destroying a number of skiffs and pirate equipment, thereby destroying any build up of pirate supplies on Somalia beaches and the interest of their investors.