Thursday, October 29, 2009
"It is rarely seen for what it really is -- a desperate survival measure and in many coastal communities the only job available and the only viable means of income," Omar Abdirashid Sharmarke said in a speech in London.
He said piracy, which dominated central and northeastern Somalia, should not be seen as just a criminal activity.
"I do not condone it, I want it to stop, but I reflect on how humanely they treat the crews caught in the middle, and that 30 percent of each ransom is used to support the local community," he said.
Sharmarke said the pirates were responding to "the loss and disappearance of their livelihoods", adding: "Many of these pirates were once profitable fishermen and would be so again given the chance."
He said in the speech to the London-based think-tank that he had spoken to British Foreign Secretary David Miliband "and I want to give my assurance to the family that my government will do everything it can, within its resources, to find this couple and return them safely."
He told Sky News television afterwards: "As soon as we locate them, we will seek to exert our influence over local communities and see a peaceful, successful resolution to this."
In his speech, Sharmarke said piracy dominated central and northeastern Somalia but said his transitional administration had a plan to "eradicate Somali piracy" by 2011 through civilian and military efforts.
Paul Chandler, 58, and his wife Rachel, 55, were sailing from the Seychelles to Tanzania but there has been no trace of them since their yacht sent a distress signal at 2200 GMT Friday.
Source: AFP, Oct 28, 2009