Anti-piracy campaign moves to land-based operations

Against a background of increased attacks on commercial shipping, the United Nations has launched a new get-tough-on-pirates campaign, spearheaded by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). UN secretary-general Ban- Ki Moon will launch the yearlong campaign in London on February 3 in what is to be a high-profile anti-Somali action to correct the limited effectiveness of existing international measures. The fight against piracy has been fraught with logistical and other headaches right from the outset and it seems the realisation is dawning that pirates appear to be winning the day. The most widely held belief is that the crisis in Somalia can only be resolved through political stability in the East African country. But in the absence of that, support is growing – more recently from Danish shipowner grouping Danmarks Rederiforening – for special forces to have the option of destroying on-land Somali pirate bases. Despite having the most sophisticated navy in Africa and vessels that are ideally suited, albeit costly, for antipiracy patrols, the South African government remains pretty much ambivalent over the situation and one wonders what it will take to finally call out a budget-stretched navy. Government is still, as recently as January 12, declining to be drawn on the piracy dilemma, despite three confirmed December attacks on an oil tanker, a bulker and a fishing vessel off Quelimane (Mozambique), about 1 000km north of South Africa. A navy spokesman says South Africa’s noninvolvement in anti-piracy activities is for “political reasons”.