Piracy along the entire Somali coastland has increased substantially in the past weeks raising wide apprehension. This phenomenon must of course be deplored irrespective of its underlying causes.

What is more vital and timely remains, however, the urgent task of fully identifying its underlying causes with a view to brining about an enduring solution instead of focusing on emotive, day-to-day, events or utilizing them as another pretext for justifying reckless military intervention.

That the main cause of this problem is the vacuum that has been created for the last 17 years in Somalia and that continues to-date without let up is obvious indeed. The solution lies, accordingly, in the liberation and reconstitution of a united and sovereign Somalia.

Unless and until the entire Somali people – whether they are in the so-called “Somali-land”, “Punt-land”, “Juba-land” or “Benadir-land”- extricate themselves from the malaise of fragmentation to bring about their own enduring solution by themselves, piracy and other deplorable activities will not indeed cease. To pretend otherwise is either lack of knowledge or pure misjudgment of the realities.

There are those who argue that “the Somali Government must put an end to these activities”. But this begs a host of questions. Which government? Where is it? What resource doe it have?

There are also other powers who maintain that “it must be combated by deploying our naval forces”. Some might be motivated by sincere objectives. But for others, the situation provides a silver lining for illegal intervention.

Sadly, an enduring solution is not conceivable until the reckless acts of the US and its surrogates aimed at balkanizing Somalia, dividing its people along ethnic and clan lines; and, fomenting animosity and lawlessness by bribing selfish warlords cease. Unscrupulous acts of exploiting Somalia’s resources; the dispersion of its population and/or rendering them hostage to hunger and relief hand-outs; the covering up of the blatant invasion perpetrated against the country under the mantle of “peace-keeping” in breach of international law and the Charter of the UN; and, the aggravation of tension and instability in the Horn of Africa can only breed the chaos and mayhem that we see today. To ignore these realities and exploit emotive incidents are worn-out tactics that will not bring about lasting peace.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
20 November 2008
Asmara