With less than two years to go before the end of the transition period in Somalia, a top U.N. official this week stressed the need to consolidate the fragile peace process, which has witnessed numerous recent attacks and an ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Somalia
- Africa
- Somalia
Update on the Situation in Mogadishu, Somalia
Continuing fighting in Magadishu, the capital of Somalia, has displaced at least 22,000 more civilians and during the past 12 days, the United Nations reported today. Nearly 14,000 of those persons are believed to have left the city, while another 7,200 joined 366,000…
Fighting Pirates
In the past seven months there have been 139 piracy-related incidents off the coast of Somalia. Thirty ships have been hijacked, and 17 ships and 450 seafarers are being held for ransom. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed that more can…
UK: The Problem of Piracy Reaches the English High Court
The case of Cosco Bulk Carrier Co. Ltd v Team-Up Owning Co. Ltd [2010] EWHC 1340 (Comm) was an appeal to the High Court of a decision by an arbitration panel. Mr Justice Gross, who heard the appeal, noted that…
Trying Pirates
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Kenya, the country currently holding the highest number of piracy suspects, this week opened a new high-security courtroom to try suspects in the port town of Mombasa. The new courtroom –…
Fighting Piracy
President Issues Executive Order on Somalia – Ransom Payments Illegal?
On Tuesday, President Obama issued an Executive Order relating to the Somalia piracy situation. The Executive Order took effect immediately. It purports to “block” payments, transfers or donations of property to several classes of individuals related to the crisis in…
President Obama Declares National Emergency to Deal with Somalia
President Obama issued an executive order today declaring a national emergency to deal wtih the "unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States" by "the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence…
U.N. Security Council Resolution Imposes Arms and Travel Sanctions on Eritrea
Are Cruise Lines Taking Adequate Steps to Protect Passengers from Pirate Attacks?
By Jim Walker
An article today by Wolfgang H. Thome of eTurboNews (ETN) raises two disturbing scenarios: 1. It is only a matter of time before Somali pirates hijack a cruise ship, and 2. There are no plans in place to rescue the passengers when this happens. The article…