Fishing skiffs can be seen along the beach near the coastal town of Hobyo. In 2008, the MV Faina loaded with tanks for the Kenyan government was hijacked and anchored off Hobyo's coast. The vessel, which was was closely watched by the USS Howard and other naval vessels, was eventually released after a ransom was paid. Click for Interactive Google Map

As we saw yesterday, the European Union’s Naval force, known as EUNAVFOR, has conducted its first airstrikes on pirate targets along the beaches in Somalia since declaring in March that they will begin targeting pirate gangs onshore.

The attacks were launched from  which were targeted along the coastline near the city of Harardehere, were successful and welcomed by most with no injuries or casualties reported and only used by pirates said to be destroyed.  Today, Somalia Report has the details of the attack from witnesses on the ground, both pirate and civilian.

Here is an account of the attack by Omar Haji, a self-proclaimed pirate the Guushaaye pirate group in Handulle, Somalia, which is where yesterday’s airstrike was targeted:

It was night time and a small group from Guushaaye’s men (the holder of the MV Albedo) were chewing khat near their camp. There were three skiffs of which two were tenders for the Albedo while the other one is owned by the hijackers of MV Orna.

Around 2:30 or 3:00am there were 13 pirates in the camp we heard helicopters flying towards the area of Hundulle and my friends escaped from the area – and went took small speed boat and went onboard of Albedo.

The airstrike destroyed three speed boats and other equipment including four ladders, a half tanker of fuel, two fishing nets and mobiles.

Somalia Report also sat down with a resident elder of Harardhere, who describes the attacks as follows:

It was late tonight when we heard big explosions and then we saw some thing red in the ground. At first we thought that pirates were fighting each other. No one died we heard from pirates but materials were destroyed.

Another resident of the Harardhere, discusses the attacks and they could effect innocent civilians living in a village overrun with pirate gangs.

Westerners can’t clarify who is the pirate and who is the civilian, if they target Harardhere – a lot of civilians will die so we are asking to the world to target pirates carefully.

Here is an aerial photo that provides a good depiction of why the attacks are so complicated and concerns from innocent civilians are so high.  The picture is of a small village to the south-east of Eyl, Somalia, which in the past has been known for pirate activity.

Skiffs and equipment can be seen strewn across the beach in the center of the image. Eyl has previously been known for its pirate activity and has been a location where a number of hijacked vessels and crew have been taken. Click for Interactive Google Map

So how does the EUNAVFOR distinguish pirates from civilians?  There is really no easy answer, at least for those of us that do not have access intelligence in the region, but Somalia Report has some tips.

Pirates either steal, rent or purchase small 20 foot fiberglass or plastic skiffs for their operations. There are both cheap Chinese foam filled versions or larger twin engine types. The cheaper Chinese version are stored aboard motherships for short runs, the larger skiffs can navigate many miles out to sea. A large multi engine skiff used by fishermen can $30,000 to $40,000 US dollars but they are typically not pushed up on land.

A small pirate skiff powered with an 80 – 100 hp outboard can travel up to 30 knots per hour. Pirate camps are differentiated from fishing camps by the presence of boarding ladders.

The area along the coast is remote and the presence of any activity is easily recorded and noted by numerous security forces off shore. These groups include the U.S., two Task Forces based out of Camp Lemonnier, the CIA supported Puntland Intelligence Services, the Puntland Marine Police Force, and both NATO and EU ships offshore.

So what has the effect of the attacks had on pirates gangs?  Well it has seemed to shake them up a bit.

There has been pirate movement in Hundelle area over the last few days as the hijackers of the MV Orna await a ransom drop. They have been sharing a camp with the holders of the Albedo. Sources from pirates told Somalia Report that the pirates in that area are now sleeping on the board of vessels – because they fear another attack from EUNAVOR.

The KOELN, a European Naval Forces (EUNAVFOR) warship, was operating about 100 miles south of Mogadishu when it destroyed this pirate boat.

Unidentified military fighter jets launched an airstrike earlier this week in northern Somalia in a suspected attack on a pirate base, AFP has reported citing a coastguard official and several witnesses.

AFP says the aircraft struck near the north-eastern coastal village of Gumah, which lies some 220 kilometres (140 miles) east of Bossaso, the main port of Somalia’s breakaway Puntland state.  Two civilian’s were killed in the attacks.

As gCaptain reported last month, the European Union confirmed its intention to extend its EU Naval Force’s (EUNAVFOR) counter-piracy mission, Operation ATALANTA, to “include Somalia’s coastal territory and internal waters”, indicating the pursuit of pirates by EUNAVFOR for the first time on land, or at least on the beach.

But despite those intentions, a spokesman for Atalanta told AFP that it was “not involved whatsoever” and did not give any comment on who may be behind the strikes.

The number of other nations conducting anti-piracy military operations around the Horn of Africa is nearly too lengthy to mention but include Russia, China, the U.S. and even Iran.

We’ve all been there.  That lucid moment when all of a sudden you look around and realize,

“I am wasting my life right now and it’s time for a change.”

For some people, it’s a matter of finding a new job, relocating, or perhaps changing your relationship situation.  For Jay Bahadur, he had a few beers and decided Somalia was the change he needed.

Here’s his remarkable story:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Well done sir.

Jay Bahadur is Managing Editor of Somalia Report.com, the leading online news source covering East Africa.

Inmates inside a Somali pirate prison, image by Jehad Nga

The MV Iceberg 1 is a Panama-flagged Roll on-Roll off ship that was attacked and overrun by pirates on 29 March 2010.  Since that time, the crew has been left to rot in a Somali hell-hole by the owners of the vessel, Azal Shipping and Cargo, who have since gone out of business.  At least one of the crew has already committed suicide.

The following is a report by Somalia Report earlier this year:

MV Iceberg 1 – Interview with Hostages

by Andrew Mwangura, 02/08/2011

The Panamanian flagged Ro-Ro ship MV ICE BERG I was attacked and hijacked by armed pirates on 29th March last year while underway in position latitude 13:15 north and longitude 046:40 east in the Gulf of Aden at approximately 0930hrs.

On March 29th, 2010 the MV ICEBERG 1 was only ten miles out from the port of Aden heading to the United Kingdom when she was attacked and seized by Somali pirates. Her cargo consists of generators, transformers and empty fuel tanks for a British power rental company, Aggreko International Power Projects.The ICEBERG 1, a RoRo ship with a multinational crew, is typical of much of the traffic in the region, but they became an example of the inhumanity dealt to innocent seafarers on behalf of piracy.

On December 17th the Captain of the vessel, Abdirazzak Ali Saleh, told Agence France-Presse, “The water we have is unclean and we have only one meal a day, boiled rice, that’s it. The crew is suffering physically and mentally,” in a phone interview. He added that they had been locked up in a lower hold approximately five meters square for close to nine months.

Earlier reports indicated that the negotiations were in progress, but the crew members now tell Somalia Report that nothing good is going on except hunger and starvation. A crew member also said that there are currently three crew members suffering from psychological problems.

Almost a year after being hijacked by pirates, the situation aboard MV ICEBERG I is very dark and gloomy, according to a phone interview with the crew members conducted by Somali Report. They are running out of ship stores, fuel and fresh water supply, and in their opinion, Dubai-based Azal Shipping, the ship owner has abandoned them.

They alleged that no negotiations are ongoing to secure the release of the vessel and her 23 multinational crew. They also claim that nothing is being done on behalf of their deceased mate who died on October 27, 2010. The Iceberg’s 3rd officer Wagdi Akram, father of four, jumped overboard and drowned. Crew members told Somalia Report that the deceased crew man had begun to suffer psychological problems after 7 months in captivity and knowingly ended his life.

The remains of the deceased Yemeni 3rd Officer are being kept in the vessel’s freezers but there is only sporadic generator power. The crew reported the matter to the ship owner, but the owner just gave instructions to take the body off the vessel. There have been no arrangements to fly it back to Yemen. “The body is still in the freezer but we have no diesel to run the generators,” the captain said.

The multinational crew of the vessel is comprised of 8 Yemenis, 6 Indians, 4 Ghanaians, 2 Sudanese, 2 Pakistani and 1 Filipino.

Azal Shipping has a Dubai phone number listed on their website, however not surprisingly, nobody was there to answer when we called them this morning.  If anyone has an update to this story, please feel free to comment in the Forum.

In what may be the first reported case of Somalis doing their part to prevent Somalia-based piracy operations, a speed boat carrying 7 men, AK-47s, RPGs, and ammo were seized by government and African Union officials.

Two of the men arrested from the speed boat, (c) Somalia Report

By MOHAMED ODOWA, ABDI

A Senior Somali government official told Somalia Report that Somalia’s coast guard, with the support of African Union peacekeeping forces, today seized a speedboat near Mogadishu’s old port carrying at least seven men and a variety of weapons.

“We are still busy searching the boat. So far we have found variety of weapons. Once we are done we will speak to the media. We strongly believe that the weapons belong to al-Shabaab,” said the official on the condition of anonymity.

Two Kenyans and one Tanzanian were arrested and are being questioned at the Afar-Irdood police station in Hamar Weyne district of Mogadishu, while two others were taken by African Union forces, according to Mogadishu’s central commander Garad Nur Abdulle. Two others reportedly escaped by jumping into the sea, however, this has not yet been confirmed.

Somali naval commander Farah Ahmed Omar (Qare) confirmed the arrest of three men, Ali Omar Ali, Abdalle Ksuwa Ali, and Ali Nakari Said and reported that Ali Nakari Said told police they had been lost at sea for the last seven days. They claimed the boat came from Mombassa, Kenya.

African Union spokesman Paddy Ankunda confirmed to Somalia Report that they are holding some suspects, but would not verify the number. Once the investigation has concluded, the AU will make an official comment.

The speedboat was carrying with AK-47 rifles, RPGs, machine guns, and ammunition, according to the official.

The article originally appeared on SomaliaReport.com and is republished with permission.

Men arrested on speed boat, (c) Somalia Report

Men arrested from speed boat, (c) Somalia Report

Seized speed boat with weapons, (c)Somalia Report

Image courtesy Somalia Report

Insiders tell how pirates are destroying the system that allows them to flourish. 

By Robert Young Pelton, Somalia Report

Somalia Report has identified a trend that indicates that the $4.5M ransom may have been the tipping point for ship owners. Desperate to hit this magic number a number of recent ships have gone through heart breaking betrayal as negotiators reach an agreement only to discover they had been suckered. When discussions begin again the crestfallen owners are expected to dig deeper into that imaginary pot of money to meet the pirate investors’ demands. The bottom line is that the main pirate groups are hurting. Stalled inventory, maxed out ransoms and heavy investments that have not paid off are putting more pressure on getting higher ransoms for the existing ships.

But this may be the beginning of the end.

What the pirates might not have noticed is that ships with the capability to pay these jumbo-sized ransoms have migrated to Best Management Practice (BMP), security on board, hardening, training, emergency drills, establishing secure citadels, and closer coordination with naval forces in the area. The oft repeated mantra that an armed ship has never been taken still rings true and insurance companies demand security and BMP on ships traveling exception routes. Companies like Maersk turn Somali waters into a race course as they zoom by at almost 20 knots, leaving small skiffs bobbing in their wake. The pirate’s pickings are now low sided bulk carriers who have avoided insurance requirements and hope to play the law of averages.

In addition drones and local informants have been used to identify clumsily labeled “Pirate Action Groups” as they set out from land and look for victims. Although some nations use the mandate of preventative or collaborative action it is generally accepted that once the act of piracy commences, violent action can be taken to warn off, disable or kill all members of a pirate group.

The most destructive link to the criminal act of piracy would be the removal of the ransom process. Without the actual cash transfer process going smoothly, piracy would lose its main driver. The ransom process is a criminal act in most countries. Some countries like the UK condone the payment of funds to criminals due to concern for the hostages well being. The skewed logic is that the pirates fully intend to give life and property back therefore the payment itself just expedites the victim’s safety and well being. Other countries (including Somalia) will arrest and convict anyone caught paying money to criminals essentially making the clear statement that ransom payers are collaborating and supporting the crime.

The filmsy moral rationale for piracy has long vanished. Only about 6% of vessels attacked are fishing in Somali waters and most are used for motherships. The “Robin Hood” effect of piracy has also vanished with local communities up in arms from Eyl to Hobyo. They are tired of the violence, drugs, alcohol and hangers on destroying their lifestyle.

The returns of piracy have diminished. Dozens of missing Somalis who went to sea in small skiffs looking for fortunes never to return are testament to the fool’s gold of piracy. Piracy attacks are delivering less and less success forcing them to demand more from their current stolen inventory. There has been a significant drop in ships and hostages held with longer and longer negotiation times. This burns pirate investor money.

The facts are that piracy supports a handful of financiers, a few sea teams and that is about it. The good old days of a quick 90 day turn from grab to gone are over. Somalia’s coastal communities are not awash with wealth. Pirates squander their cash windfalls while investors have put money back into more and more expensive failed missions.

Somali fishermen do not ply their trade with gusto and the entire coastal region of Somalia is a ‘no go’ zone putting pressure on all seafaring Somali’s to survive.

Dealing with the problem of piracy has been a simple line item for ship owners. Less than 1% of all traffic in the region can expect an attack, let alone a ransom payoff.

Pirates are self interested criminals who steal, beat, abuse and sometimes kill innocent people to make money. Their names, phone numbers and locations are known to us, the local governments and we would assume the more sophisticated tracking elements of international governments. Yet nothing is done. Booyah [a known pirate leader] is in prison operating by mobile phone. Garaad [another known pirate leader] is a man about town in Puntland, small armed skiffs are tracked by drones and yet nothing substantial has been done to end this criminal anomaly.

The only thing standing between the status quo and total annihilation is the collective hand wringing of the governments who command the world’s most impressive warships in the region. The maritime business is not set up to fight pirates, navies are. The men and women on the naval vessels are keen to fight pirates but hampered by rules of engagement, the locals on land are ready but frustrated by lack of money and support. Even burgeoning anti piracy efforts in Bosaso have been blocked by the UN, the very agency created to end piracy. It is time to deal a death blow to a tiny band of brigands who hold all of Somalia hostage. Somalia Report encourages insiders to speak out and have their stories, solutions and opinons published freely and without fear of censorship. Please send your thoughts and opinions topublisher@somaliareport.com

This article originally appeared on SomaliaReport.com and is republished here with permission.

© Somalia Report 2011

© Somalia Report, Somalia's fisherman are hampered by their inability to reach foreign markets

By Jama Deperani, Somalia Report

Local fishermen in Somalia will now wear uniforms to differentiate them from the pirates, according to officials from Puntland, a semi-autonomous region of Somalia known for piracy.

Fishermen in Caluula, Mareero, Qandalla and Bargaal told Somalia Report that people are afraid to go fishing because of the threat from pirates who steal their boats, motors, and fuel and concerns international navies may mistake them for pirates.

To remedy this, Puntland officers have initiated a program to identify legitimate fishermen by issuing uniforms and ID cards.

“We know that pirate activities in the region have caused fear among local fishermen, so we need to help them. We will issue them with uniforms and ID cards. First we will register all local fishermen in Puntland. We have already begun in Bosaso and all coastal lands in Bari region,” Dr. Mohamed Farah Aadan, Puntland’s minister responsible for fishing, told Somalia Report. “We will inform our coast guards and international warships that there will be a clear difference between the pirates and fishermen,” he added.

(c) 2011 SomaliaReport.com

Go figure…

I can’t imagine the decision to cancel a sailboat race between Cape Town and Abu Dhabi would have been a tough call considering the dire warning by the International Sailing Federation, the publicity of recent acts of piracy along the race course, and this year’s murder of 4 American sailors on board S/Y Quest… but apparently it was.

A brief background…

The Volvo Ocean Race is an around-the-world yacht race followed by millions of people worldwide, and sailed by experienced professionals on board the fastest mono-hulled offshore yachts ever designed.  These 70-foot sailboats have hit speeds of up to 39 knots in the Southern Ocean and hold the 24 hour distance record of 562.96 nautical miles.  Racing these offshore machines for months at a time requires an extraordinary amount of skill, endurance, and mental toughness.   Since the early 1970s, this race has been the ultimate test of seamanship.

In recent years, the conditions have changed…

The huge seas and endless storms of the southern ocean still present the same fundamental challenges, however massive corporate sponsorship and global intrigue has altered the race route to include ports in warmer climates.  This year’s race includes the city of Abu Dhabi, the first-ever middle eastern Volvo Ocean Race stopover, and sponsor of Team Abu Dhabi.

On 29 October, 7 teams will start from Alicante, Spain on a 39,000 nautical mile trip around the planet.  Until this morning, the race route included a leg from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi, a track that would have led these teams directly offshore Somalia and the western Indian Ocean.  Discussing today’s decision to alter the race course, Knut Frostad, a two-time Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) skipper and the current VOR Chief Executive stated, “this has been an incredibly difficult decision…We have consulted leading naval and commercial intelligence experts and their advice could not have been clearer: ‘Do not risk it.’”

According to the VOR press release, “The boats will now race from Cape Town to an undisclosed ‘safe haven’ port, be transported closer to Abu Dhabi, and then complete the leg from there. The process will be reversed for the third leg before the race continues on to Sanya.”

This should not have been a difficult decision.  The decision to not sail past Somalia is painfully obvious, and leads me to believe that the reason this was a “difficult decision” is because a great deal of sponsorship money was involved.  The spirit of this yacht race is seamanship and pushing the sport of sailing past the edge of what was once thought impossible.  It’s about teamwork, technology, and mitigating risk while motivating one another to keep pushing hard under terribly uncomfortable conditions.  If something had gone horribly wrong off the coast of Somalia, it could have come with tragic consequences while at the same time destroying the reputation of this historic race.

Piracy is a crap shoot.  You may be able to sail your boat from Cape Town to Abu Dhabi with no problems, but then again, you may not.  Taking risks like that would have been irresponsible and not in the spirit of offshore yacht racing, and certainly not in the spirit of the Volvo Ocean Race.

Thank you for making the right call, and we look forward to following the race…

Image by Dan Armstrong, Puma Ocean Racing

NORFOLK, Va.—A man accused of negotiating on behalf of Somali pirates in the deadly hijacking of a U.S. yacht has been indicted on charges he successfully negotiated the ransom for a German tanker and its 22 crewmembers, the government said Thursday.

The accused, Mohammad Saali Shibin, is the biggest catch in the U.S. prosecution of pirates plaguing shipping lanes off the coast of Africa, U.S. Attorney Neil H. MacBride said outside the federal courthouse in Norfolk.

“Mr. Shibin is alleged to be among the select few who are entrusted with one of the most important tasks in Somali piracy—ensuring a ship’s owners pay the maximum amount of ransom possible for the release of a hijacked vessel,” Mr. McBride said.

Mr. Shibin, already in U.S. custody for his alleged role in the deaths of four Americans on the yacht Quest earlier this year, is multilingual and is technologically savvy—skills needed to assess a ship’s value and to serve as a go-between, Mr. McBride said.

The chemical tanker Marida Marguerite and its crew of 22 aboard was hijacked in May 2010 and held off the coast of Africa for seven months until a ransom believed to total millions was paid to the pirates. All 22 crewmembers survived.

Mr. Shibin was paid $30,000 to $50,000 for his alleged services, according to the indictment, which is dated Wednesday.

The superseding indictment, which includes previous charges related to the Quest hijacking, accuses him of piracy, hostage taking, violence against maritime navigation, conspiracy and firearms violations.

His arraignment is scheduled Wednesday. His attorney didn’t immediately return a telephone message left by the Associated Press.

(c) 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.