“Piracy is now affecting local business,” says Andrew Robinson, national president of the Maritime Law Association. “When Somali-based pirates ‘shipjacked’ the product tanker, MT Bow Asir late last month, South African cargo interests, their brokers and insurers were immediately affected because the ship was loaded with cargo destined for Durban.” A number of states, excluding South Africa, have responded favourably to two UN Security Council resolutions that will allow foreign states and regional organisations, in co-operation with the Somali government, to enter Somalia’s territorial waters and use “all necessary means to fight piracy”, including taking such measures on land. FTW understands that the intransigent stand by the South African government on the Somali piracy issue is a source of frustration that goes beyond the navy chiefs. A major stumbling block that has to be sorted out at international level is that most countries only legislate for attacks on their own nationals, therefore no laws are applicable to attacks on ships other than on their own nationals.
‘SA Navy desperately wants to play an active role’
Comments | 0
