23 November 2009
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has paid tribute to all those who serve on the front lines of the battle against piracy off the coast of Somalia, while stressing that this scourge will not be defeated by military means alone.
"We will find a solution only by addressing the broader political and security situation," Mr. Ban said in a video message to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Bravery Awards in London, stressing the need to support the "fragile" transitional Government in Somalia.
He noted that in recent years, pirates operating from Somalia have been hijacking ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean and holding their crews and cargo for ransom.
However, thanks to the resolve of the IMO and the Security Council, the international community has done much to discourage such acts, he said.
The Secretary-General noted that since the start of the international naval escort system in the western Indian Ocean two years ago, not a single ship heading to Somalia with UN World Food Programme (WFP) aid has been attacked.
"WFP has been able to scale up its operations, providing much-needed food assistance to nearly 3 million people," he pointed out.
Mr. Ban stated that all States have a duty to cooperate in the repression of piracy, as set out in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adding that several Security Council resolutions now provide a firm basis for enhanced action in this arena.
Read comments. Write your own.
Copyright © 2009 UN News Service. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
Somali HipHop Artist K'Naan on Somali Pirates
THESE GUYS ARE LIKE THE U.S. PATRIOTS OF 1776.
THEY ARE PROTECTING THEIR COUNTRY FROM RADIOACTIVE WASTE
BEING DUMPED IN SOMALI WATERS.
The News Behind The News !!! America Doesn’t have a Monopoly Founding Fathers !
Embed
[ ]
URL
[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twt-nssj7Rk ]
(Nkosi Sikeleli Africa )
God bless Africa May her glory be lifted high Hear our petitions .
God bless us, Your children God we ask You to protect our nation Intervene and end all conflicts Protect us, protect our nation, our nation.
From the blue of our heaven, From the depths of our sea, Over our eternal mountain ranges, Where the cliffs give answer.
Sounds the call to come together, And united we shall stand, Let us live and strive for freedom, In South Africa our land.
[Enoch Mankayi Sontonga]
[Check Out :
WHO BROUGHT THE SLAVES TO AMERICA ? [ http://isohunt.com/torrent_details/42787621/Who+brought+the+slaves+to+ameri ca?tab=summary] for full length video
FRITZ SPRINGMEIER A Bold Christian Truthseeker The Top 13 Illuminati Bloodlines [ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k73Q2_f4vKU ]
WAKE UP !!! STAY UP !!!
[ libradio.net ]
[http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx]
[gcnlive.com]
Life Is A Game. Have Fun . Luke 18:17 - Isaiah 11:6
Life Is A Game. Have Fun . Luke 18:17 - Isaiah 11:6
Active Discussions: Piracy in Somalia