Topic: beaches

Somalia Pirates or Volunteer Coast Guard of Somalian ocean?

April 13, 2009 by Daizy

I have read four rather disturbing articles on the 'Pirates' in Somalia. I will just start to make one thing clear I am not defending the acts of the Somalians just trying to show their point of view. Firstly a little bit of history and geography on Somalia.

The government of Somalia collapsed in 1991 and since then the people have been starving. Lets go back a little bit further - 1 July 1960 the Italian 'owned' half of Somalia gains it's independence; 26 June 1960 the British 'owned' half of Somalia gained it's independence. So basically until 1960 Somalia was split in two and then was formed as an democratic republic.

Since then it has had one failed government after the other until 1991 it completely collapsed leaving the people destitute. There is said to be an Islamic government but it's more forced on the people and most Somalians has fled. Somalia is situated in the Horn of Africa that is just by after the passage from the red sea to the Indian ocean right next to Ethiopia. Their coastline stretches over a length of 3,3000 kilometers.

That means the most of the country is along the coast and it's a long coast line. Since the collapse of the government other countries has seen this as a opportunity to loot the country of its main food supply, sea life.

The looting has become to such an extent that the people hardly catch any fish so they have resorted to patrolling the sea taxing the people who come fish from other countries. But this is not the worst part, the worst part is that some countries has decided they are going to use Somalia as an dump site for their nuclear waste. After the 2005 Tsunami there washed up barrels of nuclear waste on the beaches and 300 people died of radio active exposure. If you think I am sucking this out of my thumb go read this article at BBC news.

It gives all the facts of the waste found and the side effects and who they think dumped it. (I read the comments on some of the articles I read on this topic and people where very skeptical about the facts. But here is it believe it or not) So the locals decided enough is enough they took their fishing boats and are patrolling the seas cashing away people who are dumping stuff and demanding 'tax' from those fishing.

I think it's unnecessary for them to be so violent but what would you do if it was your country? Yes, there are rebels and robbers there too who are just plain thieves of the ocean. For instance the ones that took the oil rig, they where robbers.

But here is where the problem lies the British navy has send ships over to take care of the 'Pirate' problem. Which pirates? I am pretty sure they won't catch the real criminals but rather the ex-fisherman and they would bear the brunt of it. Who is really to blame? When I started this article I was outraged that something like this could happen.

Who is dumb enough to dump nuclear waste in the ocean? Anyway, now all I can think is how can this vicious cycle end. The first world country screws the little people then when the little people want to take back, they become criminals.

I found this map of reported attacks from the pirates the red line is Somalia's border. More than half off the attacks take place in it and then most of them take place on the Indian ocean side not the Gulf of Aden where ships must past to get to the rest of the ocean. You can click on the image for full size. Remember this is just my take on things. I do not condone violence just I do not think it's fair that richer countries can strip and destroy their sea and they cannot retaliate in some way.