Ministry
of Maritime Transport, Ports and Counter-Piracy
Puntland
State of Somalia
Garowe
PRESS
RELEASE
15 January 2012
A
so-called research document, entitled “Treasure Mapped: Using Satellite Imagery
to Track the Developmental Effects of Somali Piracy,” was published by UK-based
Chattam House think-tank, in January 2012.
This
document, which was supposed to be research funded by a UK university and the
European Union, among other donors, eventually produced an unprofessional, highly
prejudiced and defamatory document with the sole aim of unfairly targeting the
reputation of Puntland State of Somalia and the Government’s counter-piracy
efforts.
In
studying this document, it becomes evident that the authors who prepared the
research lack knowledge about Somalia’s culture, history and current affairs,
and in particular Puntland State of Somalia.
It is
common knowledge that the Government of Puntland has undertaken massive steps
against pirates and the Government’s robust anti-piracy campaign is the most
intense in Somalia. Puntland security forces have apprehended hundreds of
pirates who are currently in Puntland prisons, including notorious pirate
kingpins.
The
researcher’s flawed assertion about urban growth in Puntland State is an insult
to the ingenuity, creativity, entrepreneurship, determination, and vision of
the people of Puntland – including Puntland Diaspora communities. In reading
this research, the reader comes out feeling that everything in Puntland – all
the houses, vehicles, communications equipment, hotels – belong to pirates,
whom the researcher absurdly argues “provide stability” and “help other
entrepreneurs to trade more easily” (Page 7). Who on earth with a common sense
could unashamedly state that criminals, such as pirates, produce stability and
help trade in a country?
It seems
the researcher’s romanticized version of pirates does not only insult the
people of Puntland and readers with common sense – it adds insult to injury for
the innocent seafarers released or those still being held in captivity by
pirates, and for the ship-owners, and for international forces spending time
and effort to fight piracy along Somalia’s shores in recent years.
Finally, Puntland
Government shall pursue disciplinary action by Brunel University against the
lecturer who produced a politically motivated and biased research with a heavy
influence by a Somali political group with a particular agenda against Puntland
State. The researcher’s lack of neutrality, objectivity and professionalism has
produced research that damages the university’s image and profile.
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END
