SUNDAY EDITORIAL | The problem of piracy is interrelated to the greater Somali tragedy.

In recent weeks, the international media has been glued in by increasing reports of daring pirate attacks along the Somali coast, including the recent seizure of a French-owned yacht with 30 crew members on board and a Spanish fishing vessel carrying 26 people. In both cases, media speculation floated around reports of million-dollar-plus ransom payments to the Somali pirates, who in turn safely released the hostages. In the yacht case, French soldiers aboard military helicopters swooshed down upon a group of suspected pirates and captured six men who are now facing trial in Paris.

The French government did not end the dramatic episode on that spectacular rescue mission, but backed an anti-piracy resolution at the United Nations. The UN Security Council is scheduled to consider the resolution, which also enjoys support from the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom. In essence, the proposed UN resolution would give countries the green light to take military action against Somali pirates along the country's coastline, the longest in Africa.

So much diplomatic and media frenzy was initiated by the hijackings of European-owned vessels that were traveling along Somalia's dangerous coast. The reaction from Paris best explained the existing frame of mind in European capitals; that, despite all its problems, the only time Somalia matters is when foreigners are killed or kidnapped. The invasion of Somalia by Ethiopian troops backing the Transitional Federal Government in 2006 did not even warrant any resolutions at the UN! But pirates…those bad guys must be dealt with militarily under UN-sanctioned resolutions.

The anti-piracy resolution does not change anything on the ground or sea in Somalia. When U.S. Air Force jets bombard Somali towns or French Special Forces land on Somali soil and arrest locals, international law has already been broken beyond repair. The resolution, if approved by the Security Council, will just add another sad chapter to the history of Somalia, a country brutalized by its own sons and abused by foreigners.

Diplomats at the UN should consider the genuine concerns of the Somali people regarding the continued illegal practices of foreign vessels, many of whom have been accused of dumping toxic waste and over-fishing along Somalia's ungoverned coast. More than a decade of environmental destruction has taken its toll on locals, especially fragile communities along the country's shores with countless reports of mysterious barrels appearing on beaches.

The problem of piracy is interrelated to the greater Somali tragedy. Without resolving the enduring political conflict on land, the international community will be wasting valuable resources combating piracy on its own. Just like there is no military solution to the conflict in Mogadishu, as proven by the Ethiopian army's failure to control the capital, there can be no military solution to Somali piracy.

But the international community's rush to a military solution is reflective of a much larger issue: no country or world organization is genuinely willing to help bring an end to the 18-year Somali crisis.

Garowe Online Editorial, editorial@garoweonline.com