The pirates holding Paul and Rachel Chandler hostage have united Somalis on one thing: the obligation they have towards the British couple whose captors demand ransom. The British government’s policy is not to negotiate with pirates or encourage ransom payments to pirates but Somalis in the United Kingdom and Europe have realised that such a policy does not prevent them from taking steps to facilitate the release of the British couple for humanitarian reasons.

The BBC London TV News has broadcasted a report on the campaign launched by the London based Somali Universal Television. “As Somalis in Europe especially in the United Kingdom, our main concern is this couple to be released whatever it costs,”, Ahmed Abubakar proprietor of Somali Universal TV told BBC London TV news. Last week Universal TV broadcasted a live phone-in programme in which all callers expressed sadness about the demands of the Somali pirates holding the British couple near Haradhere town. Callers’ suggestions ranged from empowering the traditional leaders in the area to deal with the piracy to paying the ransom to facilitate release of the Chandlers.The Somali Diaspora’s call is partly a response to the silence of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia whose top leadership particularly the president Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, deputy Prime Minister Abrahaman Aden Ibbi, Interior Minster Abdulkadir Omar, and Members of Transitional Federal Parliament form Galguduud and Mudug regions who could have used their leverage to add their voices to the calls of the release the British couple.

There is general consensus among Somalis on the need to deal with Somali pirates who are not only putting lives of crews of ships in the Indian Ocean at risk but also the livelihoods of Somalis in Somalia because of increased insurance premium on ships travelling to Somalia which in turn drives up prices of essential commodities. Just as the international world has an obligation to fight piracy it also has an obligation to ensure that Somalia’s seas are not used as dumping ground for toxic waste. There is another issue that gives pirates a new lease of life: illegal fishing in the Somali seas. Countries fighting piracy in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden ought to be given a mandate to interrogate any ship which is thought to be illegally fishing in Somali waters. Such a measure should take into account the Somalis' role in leasing parts of Somali seas to fishing companies. Recently, the former president of Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, told Universal TV that when he was Puntland's president (1998-2004) he authorised foreign fishing vessels to exploit marine resources in Somali seas. Administrations such as Puntland can spearhead efforts to fight illegal fishing in Somalia's seas by letting the public know if Puntland continues to authorise fishing companies to operate in Somalia’s seas.

Comprehensive measures such as those outlined above will contribute to making the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean a pirate-free zone. Somalis in the United Kingdom and other European countries, and the management of Universal TV are commendable for their initiative to raise awareness about the need to raise funds to pay the ransom demanded by Somali pirates holding Paul and Rachel Chandler hostage if pirates continue to insist on being paid a ransom.

Liban Ahmad
E-Mail:libahm@gmail.com