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India calls for UN force to frighten pirates off Somalia
 (SomaliNet) India has proposed a UN peace-keeping force under "a unified command'' to prevent the ever-mounting pirate attacks off Somalia, two days after the Indian Navy repulsed pirate attacks on a Saudi and an Indian merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden. Meanwhile, the Indian delegation at the ongoing 101st council meeting of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London recommended that the body should move the UN for establishing such a peace-keeping force. Though the Indian Navy is coordinating with other foreign navies in the Gulf of Aden, which include US and European naval task forces, a formal UN peace-keeping force will go a long way in thwarting piracy in a concerted manner in this vital trade route. Operating mainly from Somali ports of Eyl and Hobyo, pirates have created havoc for international shipping, having attacked 83 ships since January, hijacking 33 of them, in the region. "The Indian delegation urged IMO to take urgent steps to provide assistance and security to international shipping irrespective of flag, nationality of seamen etc of the vessels. The call was supported by many other member-countries,'' said an official. Shipping secretary APVN Sarma told the IMO council meeting that concerted action was needed since over 12% of the entire world's seaborne oil trade, around 50% of the dry bulk transportation and 33% of container trade passes through this vital sea lane. Highlighting the problems, Sarma said the ongoing "disjointed efforts'' being made by several countries on their own had led to some navies laying down priorities in giving assistance to only those ships flying a particular flag or having seaman of a particular nationality. Indian warships, as reported earlier, are patrolling the Gulf of Aden since last month to protect Indian merchant vessels transiting from Salalah (Oman) to Aden (Yemen) from pirates. The decision to deploy the warships in the region was taken by the government after Somali pirates hijacked Japanese-owned Stolt Valor on September 15. The fate of the 18 Indians on board Stolt Valor, however, still hangs in the balance, with the pirates demanding a ransom upwards of $2.5million to free them. Posted by: Fred 2008-11-15 |
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