9 January 2009
THEY live in palatial mansions, drive luxury cars and can afford to take as many wives as they like. Piracy is big business in Somalia, a failed, war-torn state on the Horn of Africa controlled largely by Islamist militias.
The pirates of Somalia have menaced ships in the Gulf of Aden - one of the world's busiest sea lanes - for many years, but their attacks have become more sophisticated and brazen recently.Travelling in speedboats and often heavily armed, they attacked more than 100 vessels in 2008, hijacking more than 40.Piracy has created an economic boom in the fishing villages of Puntland, a breakaway region from the Islamist south - where ships and crews are held for ransom for millions of dollars.The pirates enjoy a lavish lifestyle unknown to many in a country racked by poverty.A New York Times article in October described the high-rolling swagger of pirates in Garoowe, a town south of Boosaaso on the Somalian coast.Flush with cash, the pirates drive the biggest cars, run many of the town's businesses - like hotels - and throw the best parties, residents say.Fatuma Abdul Kadir said she went to a pirate wedding in July that lasted two days, with nonstop dancing and goat meat, and a band flown in from neighbouring Djibouti.The pirates - who were often fishermen before they became criminals - have become more ambitious in their attacks in recent years, travelling longer distances to attack ships.High-profile attacks include the hijacking of the Saudi supertanker MV Sirius Star and its cargo of oil worth more than $100 million in November, and a Ukrainian freighter carrying more than 30 Soviet-era battle tanks and heavy weaponry that was seized in September.The Times article said: "Pirates use fast-moving skiffs to pull alongside their prey and scamper on board with ladders or sometimes even rusty grappling hooks. Once on deck, they hold the crew at gunpoint until a ransom is paid, usually $1 million to $2 million."
