Shippers given nod for armed guards against pirates

Philip Mwakio

The UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has endorsed the use of private armed guards to protect ships from piracy.

After a meeting in London, the IMO issued guidelines for the use of guards on board ships in areas of high risk, including the Indian Ocean.

This announcement has elicited support from a section of shipping stakeholders at the Port of Mombasa, with Seafarers Assistance Programme (Sap) Kenya Country coordinator, Mr Andrew Mwangura saying the move is long overdue.

"We have time and again gave critical look at the matter and now that IMO has given a thumbs up , we are in agreement to see vessels transiting dangerous waters have armed guards onboard," Mwangura told Move It in an interview.

UN endorsement

About one in 10 ships off the Somali coast already carry armed guards.

MV DAMALI2 docks at the Mombasa port. UN agency has sanctioned use of armed guards by shippers, but only in security risk-prone areas. [PHOTO:MAARUFU MOHAMED / STANDARD]

But observers say this number is likely to rise now that the UN has endorsed the practice.

The IMO says there were 489 reports of piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2010 – up 20 per cent from 2009 figures.

The areas worst affected were the Indian Ocean, East Africa and the Far East, including the South China Sea, South America and the Caribbean.

So far this year more than 200 cases have been reported.

Piracy in the Indian Ocean is getting more lucrative and more violent, despite an anti-piracy EU naval force patrolling the area.

The IMO’s new recommendations are backed by the independent trade body for security companies operating at sea — the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (Sami), launched last year.

Peter Cook, co-founder of Sami, is quoted in sections of the media saying: "The pirates have been killing — they have been torturing and doing fake executions and the level of violence is increasing.

"It is clear that something has got to be done in order for free trade to be able to continue and it is for that reason that the IMO have decided to go down this very unusual route."

Interim basis

IMO insists that the guidelines are not intended to institutionalise the use of arms by privately contracted security staff.

The IMO describes the guidance as "interim recommendations" and says it will review them in September.

Prior to the sanctioning, IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) had announced approval of an Interim guidance on the use of privately contracted armed security personnel on board ships transiting the high-risk piracy area off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. The MSC approved an MSC circular on Interim guidance to shipowners, ship operators, and shipmasters on the use of privately contracted armed security personnel on board ships in the High Risk Area.

The interim recommendations also extends to flag States.