CIVIL - MILITARY FUSION CEN TRE Anti-Piracy Review Week 02 11 January 2012 Comprehensive Information on Complex Crises INSIDE THIS ISSUE This document provides an overview of developments in Anti-Piracy from 06 December 2011—10 January 2012. Further information on the topics covered is available at www.cimicweb.org. Hyper- Economics links to source material are highlighted in blue and underlined in the text. We encourage you to con- International Response tact the Anti-Piracy Team Leader or our Subject-Matter Experts for more detailed information. Justice Economics Erin Foster ► Security Humanitarian Affairs—Somalia [email protected] Regional Issues—Somalia n 30 December, Sunrise Communi- malia. Fifteen hawalas suspended services ty Banks, the last remaining bank in to Somalia last week, however, one money ABOUT THE CFC 1 O the US State of Minnesota to allow transfer business in Minnesota, Tawakal The Civil-Military Fusion Centre the use of money transfer services or ha- Money Express, with bank accounts in other (CFC) is an information and walas to Somalia, closed those accounts due states told AP that it will continue to allow knowledge management to fears of unintentionally financing terror- emergency transfers of up to USD 500. organisation focused on improving ism, reports the Associated Press. The arti- civil-military interaction, facilitating cle further notes that Somalis who send re- A recent report released by the British information sharing and enhancing mittances home to support their families in House of Commons Foreign Affairs Com- situational awareness through the Somalia, are struggling to find alternative mittee, claims that not enough is being done CimicWeb portal and our weekly means of money transfers. The potential to track financial flows and mitigate the and monthly publications. impact on communities already struggling impact of piracy off the coast of Somalia, CFC products are based upon and with famine, drought recovery and contin- reports CNN. According to the CNN article, link to open-source information ued violence has raised alarm from the hu- ransom payments per vessel have increased from a wide variety of organisations, manitarian community. According to the nearly eightfold from USD 600,000 in 2007 research centres and media sources. Integrated Regional Information Networks to USD 4.7 million in 2011. The report fur- However, the CFC does not endorse (IRIN), Somalis worldwide remit an estimat- ther noted piracy costs the global communi- and cannot necessarily guarantee ed USD 1.3-2 billion annually and many ty USD 7-12 billion in insurance, prosecu- the accuracy or objectivity of these recipient families have no other means of tions, security and ransom payments. Com- sources. CFC publications are survival. One Mogadishu resident said that mittee Chairman Richard Ottaway told AP independently produced by her family of 13 receives USD 200 per “it is unacceptable that 2.6 million square Knowledge Managers and do month and without this money “[they] miles (6.7 million square kilometres) of the not reflect NATO policies or would be forced to either go to the camps Indian Ocean has become a no-go area for positions of any other [for refugees and displaced people] or beg.” small vessels, and a dangerous one for com- organisation. The situation could reach a critical point if mercial shipping.” The issue of financial other US banks follow suit by closing ha- flows and ransom payments will be raised The CFC is part of NATO Allied wala accounts, Laura Hammond, a Senior further at the London summit on Somalia Command Operations. Lecturer at the School of Oriental and Afri- being hosted by Prime Minister David Cam- can Studies in London, explained to IRIN. eron next month. (see International Com- The Prime Minister of the Somali Transi- munity Response section). tional Federal Government (TFG), Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, further warned of an eco- The Business Daily (Kenya) reports that the CONTACT THE CFC nomic crisis for Somalis with the disruption costs of sea trade could decrease if dimin- For further information, contact: of money transfers to the country. Sunrise ished levels of pirate attacks are sustained. Community Banks published a statement on The Chairman of the Institute of Chartered The Anti-Piracy Team their website on 05 January indicating that Shipbrokers in Kenya, Silvester Kututa, told [email protected] they remain committed to supporting the reporters “if the number of successful at- Somali community and that negotiations are tacks remains low for the next six months, Anti-Piracy Team Leader underway with federal agencies and offi- we expect the […] cost of insurance to Erin Foster cials regarding regulatory and legal con- drop.” [email protected] cerns related to sending remittances to So- 1Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States. International Response Britta Rinehard ► [email protected] t the beginning of 2011, the International Maritime little is known about the fate of the approximately $135 mil- Organization (IMO) listed six specific objectives in lion paid in 2011(see Economics section). The Contact Group A their anti-piracy action plan and, despite an initial on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, Working Group (WG) 5 increase in Somali pirate attacks, the IMO says that their wide- was established in 2011 and is currently chaired by Italy. ranging anti-piracy campaign is showing results. In a press WG5 is tasked to “disrupt the financial networks of pirate briefing released in mid-December, the IMO outlined its leaders and their financiers.” achievement of several of its goals, such as increased pressure at the political level, the release of new guidelines, the promo- The EU Council has approved a concept of strengthening the tion of better coordination of international naval forces in the maritime capacities of regional countries (with the exception wider Gulf of Aden (GoA) area and more awareness and pro- of Somalia) and training a coastal police force in Somalia. On tection for seafarers, fisherman and passengers threatened by 30 December 2011, the EU announced a possible expansion of Somali piracy. EU NAVFOR - Operation ATALANTA. The mission current- ly includes the protection of World Food Programme (WFP) Despite the IMO’s progress, SaveOurSeafarers declared in and vulnerable shipping vessels, monitoring of fishing activi- December that 212 people were still being held hostage by ties, and deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of pira- Somali pirates, highlighting the fact that many seafarers are cy and armed robbery off the Somalia coast. The expansion being held even after their vessels have already been released. would target pirate infrastructure located along the coastline, To “ensure that seafarers are properly trained to cope if their including weapons, fuel and speedboats. Last month the EU ship comes under attack by pirates”, the International Conven- committed USD 2 million to the anti-piracy project MASE tion on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (Maritime Security). The project was signed by Common for Seafarers (STCW Convention & Code) underwent major Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East revisions. The revisions will go into effect 01 January 2012 African Community (EAC), Intergovernmental Authority on with a five-year transition period. Development ( IGAD) and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) in Mauritius. The MASE project has three aims: first to Recently, the Baltic and International Maritime Council develop the legislative capabilities; second to assist the region (BIMCO) released its annual report entitled, “Reflections”. to address the economic impact of piracy including money The report analysed critical issues the shipping industry is fac- laundering; and, third to enable the exchange of information. ing and makes predictions for the coming year. BIMCO con- tinues to highlight the lack of political will (mainly in the West) to take action on the piracy issue, which is a threat to seafarers, ship owners and world trade. The Piracy Figures graph illustrates the increase of Somali pirate’s incidents since 2009. In an effort to address this concern and to “catch the attention of all supranational organisations and governments”, BIMCO is in the process of developing a new strategy to rally political will and a “more robust action” against the ills of pi- racy. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports that two state-level anti-piracy conferences are being held in February - on the ninth and 10th in Nairobi, Kenya and on the 23rd in London, United Kingdom. Last month, the British House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee published a report that raises concerns about the consequences of Somali piracy and the need to “take decisive action”. In addition, the committee highlighted the need to explore the financial tracking of ransom payments, since very Justice Amber Ramsey ► [email protected] n the latest round of piracy arrests, police in the semi- One police officer told journalists, “[w]e are demonstrating autonomous state of Puntland arrested 43 suspected pirates that Puntland is willing and ready to remove pirates from all I as part of operations in Garacad village. According to So- regions.” Somalia Report further explained that local elders in malia Report, a police officer in Puntland claimed that the anti these areas have agreed to support future operations against -piracy operations will continue in the districts of Garacad, pirates throughout the region. Similarly, police in the semi- Ceel, Dhanaane and Jariban until pirates are fully expelled. autonomous region of Galmudug reported the arrest of eight 11 January 2012 Page 2 pirates, along with their equipment, during a security operation A press release issued by Puntland’s Ministry of Maritime in the southern part of Galkayo. Transport, Ports and Counter-Piracy has called for a new ap- proach to fighting piracy off the coast of Somalia following the Puntland police also reported the arrest of 10 pirates suspected release of nine suspected pirates by a US naval vessel operat- of taking part in the hijacking of the Italian-flagged chemical ing under NATO’s Operation Ocean Shield.