By FRANCIS AYIEKO
Sunday, December 14, 2008
During the meeting, Kenya, the United Nations and Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government, all agreed that unless Somalia becomes politically stable, the war against piracy will not succeed.
According to Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, piracy is a direct consequence of the failure by the Somali leadership and the international community to help Somalia realise peace and stability.
“Addressing piracy seriously is first of all to help Somalis have peace and stability in their land. A stable Somalia — one at peace with itself and its neighbours — is a critical ingredient against violence and lawlessness including piracy,” Mr Ould-Abdallah told the two-day conference jointly organised by the United Nations Political Office for Somalia and Kenya.
It brought together shipowners, port and coastal states as well as states of nationality of pirate victims.
With a stable government in place and external financial support, Mr Ould-Abdallah says, Somalia could give hope to the dissatisfied youth — the main perpetrators of piracy — by rolling out economic programmes that could spur development and address unemployment.
A stable Somalia will be strong enough to control its coastlines and territorial waters against illegal fishing and dumping of all kinds of wastes. The international community should assist in that rehabilitation,” Mr Ould-Abdallah said.
Addressing the meeting, Kenya’s Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said the first priority in fighting piracy should be establishing lasting peace and stability in Somalia.
“We cannot talk about combating piracy in Somalia without considering its root cause, which is lack of peace and stability since 1991. It is an undeniable fact that the solution to the problem of piracy off the coast of Somalia does not lie on the sea but on the land,” said Mr Musyoka.
But he said securing peace in Somalia would only come from its leaders, not “outsiders.”
Somalia ambassador to Kenya, Yusuf Azhari told delegates at the International Conference on Piracy Around Somalia that nobody can succeed in the war against piracy without first establishing a working government in Somalia.
“Only action by a well-established Somalia assisted by the international community can solve the problem of piracy. We must take drastic measures,” he said.
Source: The East African, Dec 14, 2008