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| Africa Horn |
| 'I'm not a pirate, I'm the saviour of the sea' |
| 2009-04-24 |
| Boyah is a pirate. One of the original "Old Boys", he quietly pursued his trade in the waters of his coastal home town of Eyl, years before it galvanised the world's imagination as Somalia's infamous "pirate haven". Boyah is dismissive of the recent poseurs, the headline-grabbers who have bathed in the international media spotlight and it shows; he exudes a self-assured superiority. Pirates are easy to spot on the streets of Garowe, the regional capital: their Toyota 4x4s cluster around equally new white-washed mansions on the edge of town. But to approach them, I am warned, is to invite kidnapping or robbery. In Somalia, everything is done through connections, be they clan, family, or friend, and Mohamed, my interpreter, was on and off the phone for almost a week to coax his network into producing Boyah. Our meeting takes place at a virtually deserted farm 15km outside Garowe. Mohamed is the son of the newly elected president of Puntland and does not want to be seen in public cavorting with pirates. Moreover, Boyah has recently contracted tuberculosis and Mohamed insists that we meet him in an open space. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #3 OP - I'm afraid all we've got planned is golden gopher colonialism. Seems we're part way through a generation of Minnesotan - Somalis, and it's an even bet as to which side, if any, they'll want to take on in future visits to the Olde Country. On the other hand hand, Indian-American relations are thriving, particularly if Gov. Jindal ages gracefully. |
| Posted by: Halliburton - Mysterious Conspiracy Division 2009-04-24 19:20 |
| #2 Illegal fishing IS a problem, not only along the Somali coast, but in dozens of places around the world. The worst offenders are the Chinese and Japanese. Just plain OVER-fishing is also a major problem. The North Sea is almost fished out. The northern Atlantic used to produce 50-lb cod, now anything over five pounds is considered "big". While overfishing and illegal fishing are major problems, Somalia's largest problem is the lack of a proper government. Al-Qaida, tribalism, Islam, and just plain lack of faith in governments all play a role. It stinks to heaven of colonialism, but the best thing that could happen to Somalia is to be made a ward of the EU, India, Australia, Brazil, or some other group that would be willing to take on a long-term headache and money hole. |
| Posted by: Old Patriot 2009-04-24 14:44 |
| #1 their Toyota 4x4s cluster around equally new white-washed mansions on the edge of town. But to approach them, I am warned, is to invite kidnapping or robbery. What if we approach them via a 500lb bomb, ARCLIGHT, or hellfire missle? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2009-04-24 14:41 |