The recent high-profile hijacking of the Sirius Star oil tanker by Somali pirates finally provoked a reaction and last week the first EU naval operation was launched to try and protect shipping around the Gulf of Aden.
The recent high-profile hijacking of the Sirius Star oil tanker by Somali pirates finally provoked a reaction and last week the first EU naval operation was launched to try and protect shipping around the Gulf of Aden. However, MEPs familiar with Africa and security issues say it's not enough. They are divided over the causes of piracy and Europe's role in Somalia in the recent past.
The MEPs say that the solution won't be found at sea. The real problem lies at the heart of Somali politics and its lack of government. “It is possible to protect ships, it is good to have the first naval mission in this region but it is not enough to solve the problem. The only way would be stabilisation in Somalia,” according to Polish centre right MEP Filip Kaczmarek who drafted last year’s EP report on the Horn of Africa.
Ana Gomes, Portuguese Socialist and Vice-President of the subcommittee on Security and Defence agreed. “I am not against this mission. But it will not manage to stop piracy as long as a functioning state is lacking in Somalia. If it is just this mission and nothing else I am against.”
MEPs search for solutions
There were over 100 acts of piracy in the region last year, with Somali pirates believed to have extorted around €90 million. The newly formed Atalanta mission will try to quell attacks using up to 6 frigates and 3 military patrol aircraft from the UK, France and Greece. Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium are expected to contribute at a later stage.
Mr Kaczmarek says the pirates “should be treated as terrorists and the normal strategy is not to negotiate with terrorists.” However Ms Gomes disagrees. “The pirates are not necessarily terrorists. One must understand that they were initially just fishermen that tried to defend their fishing grounds which were plundered by foreign fishing boats, particularly from the EU.”
Solutions on dry land
Both MEPs say that to bring about change in the region the EU must focus all of its attentions on bringing stability to Somalia. “What is needed is an effort to bring Somalia to a situation of actual governance, otherwise it will further descend into violence and become a save haven for extremists and terrorists.” Ms Gomes said.
“In Somalia there is no power that control things, so the pirates are not afraid of anybody. It could be stopped on the land by local, regional or national authorities, but they simply don't exist,” said Mr Kaczmarek.
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