Interviews
Somalia: ‘It’s Better to Fight the Pirates’
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Apr 24, 2009 - 12:20:05 AM

A Somali leader talks about what his government will need to deal with the bandits.

By Steve Bloomfield | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Abdirahman Mohamed Farole insists he doesn't want to be the president of the home of modern piracy. But the recently elected leader of Somalia's semiautonomous region of Puntland says his breakaway government needs support—and about $20 million—to combat the scourge.

Puntland split from Somalia in 1998, nearly seven years after the country spiralled into a state of near-constant warfare between rival clans and factions. The region has reemerged on the global consciousness as the home base for the gangs of pirates that have seized more than 20 ships in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean this year.

The piracy plague captured America's attention earlier this month after a gang of pirates boarded a U.S.-flagged container ship and took its captain hostage. After a tense six-day standoff, Navy SEAL snipers rescued the hostage, Capt. Richard Phillips, killing three pirates in the process. But amid the excitement, a growing chorus of pundits began calling for Washington—and other nations—to directly confront and stamp out the piracy threat. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton responded by outlining a multipart plan that included pressing the government in Puntland "to take action against pirates operating from bases within their territories."

Elected in January, Farole is a former Finance minister and banker with an M.B.A. from the State University of New York at Albany. He says he's ready to take on the pirates, but only if the international community will support parallel action to confront what he describes as the root causes behind piracy's growth. He spoke to Steve Bloomfield in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: How did this piracy problem start?
FAROLE: Piracy in Puntland is not something new. The escalation has reached its peak these days but it is something that started in 1991 with the collapse of the central government. Foreign trawlers started to steal our marine resources. Some fishermen turned against them. They were paid ransom and that ransom has encouraged that escalation.

Why are you against ransoms?
It encourages the recruitment of more pirates and the escalation of the criminal activity.

So ship owners should fight back?
Some of the hostages may get killed but, if you fight, some of the pirates will get killed. It's better to take the risk and fight the pirates. That's the best way to eradicate them and discourage them.

If you keep paying ransom, you are inviting them to take more ships.
It makes more sense to fight back. That discourages the escalation. We congratulated the Americans for fighting them and rescuing their citizen.

Long term, what is the solution to piracy?
It is endemic and needs to be addressed properly. The way the international community approaches it, by deploying warships off the coast of Somalia, is not enough. We need a comprehensive program to address the problem, which includes stopping the illegal fishing, developing the coastal areas, creating livelihoods for the coastal community, creating opportunities for employment for young people, supporting the Puntland government to strengthen the security forces including the coastal taskforce.

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Source: Newsweek (USA)