PIRACY, A CONCERN SHAKES INTERNATIONAL NAVIGATION

By: Ayman Bajjash

Translated by: Mahmoud Assamiee

ADEN, Nov. 04 (Saba)- Piracy, which is being evolved in regional waters near coasts of the Gulf of Aden, has become a problem threatening nearly 70 percent of world trade's size crossing through the Gulf of Aden to Bab al-Mandab towards Suez Canal.

All countries, even great powers, could not find reasons behind emerging this problem that worries these countries which sent their navies quickly to fight pirates.

Many warships of the great powers like Russia, the United Sates and other countries are spreading in regional waters before the Gulf of Aden. Even though, Somali pirates are still hijacking ships continuously. These warships arrested only less than twenty pirates and have been extradited to Yemen which is interrogating them known.

Pricy causes damages to fishermen and economy

The first governmental document issued last July over the issue said piracy caused fishermen losses amounting to $ 200 million since the rise of piracy which hinders fishing in some areas in the Gulf of Aden.

The document affirmed that Yemen has suffered great losses led by rising costs of insurances on ships for piracy. The country also has been given additional burdens- despite its limited capabilities- to protect marine trade lines and foiling a number of piracy attempts besides hosting more than 700,000 Somali refugees on its lands.

The document mentioned that Yemen has been tasked with additional burdens to supply marine forces and Yemeni Coast Guard Forces and to set up infrastructure represented in establishing security centers along the coastlines and buying boats and equipping branches of general authority for marine affairs in protecting marine environment.

The country also was given the responsibility of search and rescue, setting up surveillance system to monitor ships and building centers for equipping and training security elements along the coastal line. All these cost the country approximately $ 150 million.

According to the document, which reveals continuous activity of piracy, the number of incidents registered last year reached 126; 29 of theme were ship hijacking, confinement of 472 sailors who were than taken as hostages, arresting 40 suspects of Somali pirates to be tried in Yemen without support of international bodies.

The document indicated that piracy incidents around Somali coasts, the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea have reached maximum levels in 2008 to 111 cases. 24 of them were ship hijacking and kidnapping 815 sailors.

The first piracy incident was in the Gulf of Aden in 1995 then increased remarkably during 2004- 2006 and then increased in 2007.

Diplomatic activities

To contain this problem and having suitable solutions to them, Yemen has sought international cooperation, via participation in activities and meeting concerning fighting piracy in the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the West of the Indian Ocean held in several countries. Yemen approved bill called "Approach Document" signed in Djibouti in January 2009. It also approved regional center to exchange information over piracy to be located in Sana'a besides to other to be located in Darussalam and Mombassa.

Yemen also hosted the regional meeting over marine security in the Gulf of Aden held in Sana'a last February 2009 and meeting of the ninth round of the Indian Ocean Rim-Association for Regional Cooperation held in June 2009.

Diplomatic activities led by President Ali Abdullah Saleh targeted bringing viewpoints closer and realizing reconciliation between warring factors in Somalia and coordinating efforts towards the problem.

Piracy in the Gulf of Aden

The preparatory committee of Aden Investment Conference- Aden Yemen's Gate to the World included piracy in the conference's agenda as basic point to be discussed, besides other six ones related to investment, its difficulties and in Yemen and available investment opportunities.

General Supervisor of the conference Badr Ba-Salmah said piracy included in the conference due to the complexity of the problem it reached recently and the great economic damages to Yemen and neighboring countries, especially GCC countries.

Basalma indicated also the negative effects caused by this phenomenon on the economic and trade activities in Aden Port directly and indirectly due to the increase insurances on the costs of insurances on transport costs.

Chairman of the conference's preparatory committee sheikh Mohammad Ba-Mashmous said that piracy does not concern only Yemen and countries overlooking the Gulf of Aden but also an international issue concerns all countries in the world. He said solving this issue is the safety of the Gulf of Aden region, affirming necessity of coming out with international solutions to protect ships coming and leaving the area.

Bamashmous Added that Yemen is able to do this "through our discussion in the conference, we will give an idea to investors about the situation. We are not desperate… Yemen has a vision regarding this issue via its relation to the next conference.

Executive Director of the Gulf of Aden Port Corporation Mohammad bin Aifan affirmed importance of discussing this issue in the conference and discovering its reasons to find suitable solutions to it.

He added that the problem as found in coming ships, it is there in fees imposed on goods they carry. Sorrowfully, the number of ships has decreased since the beginning of the year by 10 percent."

Hopes for solutions

Executive Director of Saba Aden Shipping & Stevedoring Co. Ltd Ali Al-Sharafi says discussing the problem in the conference is a chance to Yemenis to present the issue concerns their economy and security.

Al-Sharafi finds it strange that three or four pirates hijacking great ships such oil tankers which every one has three stations for helicopter, noting that there might be another dimension could be political behind neglecting this marine passage.

ESCWA's senior expert Mohammad Bashurahil agrees with Al-Sharafi. He said there is a project for the whole region concerning political and regional changes will be discussed in the conference. He also finds it strange the existence of all these forces in the region to fight few small boats.

He added that the project is still in a closed field, affirming necessity of finding solutions to this phenomenon, which affects greatly the country's economy.

The main question is will the conference come out with suitable solutions to piracy to eradicate the problem decisively?