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| Africa Horn |
| Somali vigilantes capture pirates |
| 2009-04-30 |
| Sounds like the swashbucklers are starting to piss off the locals... Somali vigilantes have captured 12 armed pirates in two boats, as coastal communities begin to fight back against the sea raiders. Vigilantes, bag men or Islamicist enforcers? Regional leaders at Alula and Bargaal in Somalia's northern Puntland region told the BBC they have put together a militia of fishermen to catch pirates. They decided to act as they were fed up with their fishing vessels being seized at gunpoint by the ocean-going bandits. Pirates have hijacked 25 vessels since the beginning of this year and are holding more than 260 crew around the stronghold of Eyl in Puntland, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Now frustrated regional leaders have taken the law into their own hands. One of them, Faarah Mohammed, told the BBC: "There is a security committee set up by the communities who live in Bargaal and Alula. And they decided to confront whatever was creating problems in their areas and particularly, the problems of the sea piracy. Eventually their effort led to the capture of three boats and 12 men with their weapons. One boat got away." The BBC's Somali Service says the militia will have to hand the pirates over to the local authorities. Somali pirates could face the death penalty under recent get-tough measures announced by the internationally recognised but unsteady Somali government. |
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #3 I'm not surprised the regional leaders are stepping in. Piracy was tolerated as long as it was a regular organized-crime operation and the ransoms were considered part of the cost of doing business. Now every clan is getting into the act. Operating hundreds of miles offshore. 250+ hostages, 50+ ships. The regionals are figuring they're going to get more attention than they want. |
| Posted by: Pappy 2009-04-30 20:48 |
| #2 Since piracy has a long and glorious history in Islam, I would think it is unlikely that its Islamicist enforcers. Unless they just want to be sure to get their cut. |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2009-04-30 18:12 |
| #1 Looking to get their beaks wet, I'll wager. "Big fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite them, and little fleas have lesser fleas,and so ad infinitum" |
| Posted by: SteveS 2009-04-30 16:34 |