The UN Security Council has recently voted to urge a stepped up international crackdown against piracy occurring along the coast of Somalia. The vote was unanimous, and intended to urge this stepped up action from all countries that have any kind of a stake in maritime safety. The UN Security Council is hoping that these countries will send military aircraft and naval ships to confront these criminals at sea.

This resolution is also going to call on these ships and planes to use whatever means necessary to call a halt to any acts of piracy. This resolution was adopted under the Chapter VII of the UN Charter, meaning that its provisions can be enforced by the military. This resolution was drafted by the French, and expresses a serious and grave concern at the recent proliferation of piracy acts as well as armed robbery being conducted at sea against vessels sailing off of the coast of Somalia. The document was also designed to reiterate the condemnation of these attacks. According to the resolution, robbers and pirates are posing a serious threat to the delivery of humanitarian aid to the citizens of Somalia. More than 3.5 million Somalis are dependent on this food aid and its prompt, effective and safe delivery.

The resolution also notes that many shipping companies are refusing to deliver these food items to Somalia unless they have a maritime escort. For this reason, the document is urging that both state and regional organizations continue to take actions that are necessary in order to protect maritime convoys operating under the UN World Food Program. General Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary, recently told reporters that as many as three million people are in serious danger of starving because nearly 90 percent of the food that they require to survive is meant to arrive via sea on the World Food Program ships.

Navy vessels hailing from France, Canada, Denmark and the Netherlands have been charged with escorting these ships safely into their designated ports. Canada's current tour of duty is slated to end on October 23, however, and no nation has yet volunteered to take its place, meaning that there will be less protection available to keep pirates from pilfering these food items and other humanitarian aid meant to supply Somalis with the food and other care that they need. Without the right escorts, these delivery ships will not arrive, and without the aid that they carry, more Somalis will die.

Canada's tour of duty was originally slated to end in September, but they extended it for an additional month because ship owners were cancelling their contracts due to the fear of pirate attacks and robberies. Most pirate attacks are occurring within the Gulf of Arden, which is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. Pirates have also been targeting the waters of the Indian Ocean off of the eastern side of Somalia. This year alone, more than 60 different ships have been attacked in these notorious African waters.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-10-15 05:30:29. Republished by Old Post Promoter

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