SOMALIA - PIRACY CONTINUES AS INTERNATIONALS MOBILIZE

SECRET S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 002596 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/E AND A/S FRAZER E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/13/2018 TAGS: EWWT, PGOV, PREL, SO, UP SUBJECT: SOMALIA - PIRACY CONTINUES AS INTERNATIONALS MOBILIZE REF: A. NAIROBI 2368 B. NAIROBI 2231 Classified By: Ambassador Michael E. Ranneberger for reasons 1.4 (b) an d (d). Summary -------- 1. (S//Rel CMFC) Summary. Eight ships were attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia between November 8 and 13, of which three were hijacked. So far this year 90 ships have been attacked, resulting in 35 successful hijackings, of which 13 are still held for ransom. On November 11 both the British and Indian navies engaged skiffs menacing shipping off the Horn of Africa, killing three suspected pirates. U.S. Navy Central Command's Task Force 150 (TF-150) and NATO ships patrol to deter pirates. In December an EU naval task force will also begin patrolling. The United Nations will host a ministerial conference on piracy in Nairobi in December. The government of the Puntland region of Somalia, where many pirate networks are based, has been ineffective in preventing piracy. Negotiations for the M/V Faina, loaded with weapons, continue. End Summary. Recent Attacks -------------- 2. (S//Rel CMFC) Somali piracy continues seemingly unabated. Between November 8 and 13, pirates in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean attacked at least eight ships, successfully capturing three. On November 8 the Danish cargo ship Motor Vessel (M/V) CEC Future was hijacked with a crew of 13 Russians on board. Pirates attacked three times on November 10. First, they chased the Singapore-flagged M/V Kota Hormat in the Gulf of Aden, until they were discouraged by the ship's evasive maneuvers. Later that day, possibly the same band of pirates in the same area successfully hijacked the Philippines-flagged M/V Stolt Strength. It was last reported heading south toward the Somali coast. Also November 10, pirates attempted to board the Saudi M/V Al Mareekh, sailing in the Indian Ocean 275 nm southwest of the northern Somali town of Hobyo. The pirates fired on the ship but gave up, after it, too, maneuvered evasively. Media also report on November 11 an Indian navy ship repulsed an attempted hijacking on an Indian freighter in the Gulf of Aden. On Novemer 12 the Turkish chemical tanker Karagol was pirated in the Gulf of Aden. Between November 12-13 pirates unsuccessfully attacked the Chinese M/V Tai Bai Hai in the Gulf of Aden and the Cyprus-flagged M/V Kapitan Maslov 300 nm east of Mombasa, Kenya. Our contacts tell us a recent spate of calm seas is behind the uptick in attacks, but that seasonal weather changes will result in increasingly rougher seas off the Horn of Africa, possibly hindering pirates, who launch attacks from small wooden skiffs. In total, 90 ships have been attacked off the Somali coast this year, resulting in 35 hijackings of which 13 ships are still captive. International Military and Diplomatic Responses --------------------------------------------- -- 3. (S//Rel CMFC) The international community has responded militarily and diplomatically. Most recently, media report the British Royal Navy returned fire and killed two Somali and one Yemeni suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden after they threatened a Danish merchant vessel. The Indian Navy is escorting Indian ships as they transit the Gulf. Turkey, Malaysia and Russia have moved ships to the region. TF-150 is patrolling for pirates in the Gulf of Aden off the Yemeni coast. NATO ships patrol in the Indian Ocean, escorting vital food shipments to Somalia until at least mid-December. And the European Union has promised a seven-ship anti-piracy task force will be off the coast of Somalia by December. 4. (U) Diplomatically, the United Nations Political Office for Somalia is organizing a ministerial-level conference on Piracy in Nairobi from December 1-3. The UN has approached NAIROBI 00002596 002 OF 002 Embassy Nairobi (forwarded via email) and Washington for financial and legal expertise. As part of the conference's preparatory work, the UN will fund an evaluation of regional and international legislation against piracy in order to recommend ways to improve cooperation against, and surer prosecution of piracy. The effort is also expected to complement the upcoming renewal of Security Council Resolution 1816, an anti-piracy measure endorsed by Somalia's government granting certain states the right to counter piracy in Somalia's territorial waters. 5. (SBU) Officials of the semiautonomous Somali region of Puntland, where many pirate networks are based, tell us they have moved against the pirates. They proudly point to two recent operations in which Puntland's security forces freed hijacked freighters in their waters (reftel A). In addition to requests for information sharing with the United States, they have asked us for salaries, training, speed boats and four wheel drive vehicles to mount a 250 man anti-piracy brigade (reftel B). They candidly told us official corruption and ineffective policing have prevented them from doing more. Weapons Ship M/V Faina Still Up for Ransom ------------------------------------------ 6. (S) Possibly the most noteworthy hijacked ship, the M/V Faina, loaded with weapons, remains at anchor off Hobyo. It was captured September 25 and has been since re-supplied with food and fuel, at the request of its Ukrainian owners. Negotiations for its return drag on; the ransom request stands at $2 million, about average for a Somali-hijacked vessel. The ship is loaded with, among other items, T-72 tanks and tank rounds, as well as rocket propelled grenades and launchers. A recent photo of the ship's crew taken by a U.S. navy ship also showed Somali pirates brandishing possibly the RPGs and a Russian tanker's helmet, evidence the pirates have broken into the cargo. RANNEBERGER