Puntland, the breakaway state of Somalia, with its long coastline, has been known as a hub for pirates. But recent efforts by the Puntland administration have resulted in the pirates relocating to central Somalia beyond Puntland's control, according to the President of the Puntland State of Somalia, Adiranaman Mohamed Mahamud 'Farole'.
President Farole is on a visit to India to seek assistance for strengthening the Puntland Maritime Police Forces and in development of the coastal communities.
"Our government is committed to eradicating piracy and terrorism from our country. Our government is committed to helping release hostages. We are in favour of security operations to release hostages and are willing to provide assistance on land for the operations," the Puntland leader said in response to questions regarding Indian hostages held by Somali pirates.
There are about 60 Indian sailors held captive by pirates. There are no hijacked ships in Puntland, but pirates do sometimes enter Puntland when they are under pressure from government forces in other areas, he said.
"Piracy has to be tackled both on the sea and on land," he added.
President Farole painted a different picture of Puntland from its image -- a pirate hideout. He explained that since his election in 2009, he had launched an operation to strengthen internal security and engage local communities in order to divert the young men from becoming pirates.
"This approach has allowed us to eradicate piracy from the coastal town of Eyl, which was once known as a pirate town," he said. The Puntland Maritime Police Force was able to enter Eyl in March this year and establish peace. The PMPF has around 500 troops and there are plans to increase its strength to 1,000.
"Somalia is a country fragmented in pieces like a broken mirror" in the two decades after the state collapsed in 1991. In the past, Somalia had a highly centralised system that was concentrated in Mogadishu, the capital and some large towns, while neglecting the rest of the country. But after the state collapse, different regions broke away.
Puntland's geographic location and its long coastline makes it very vulnerable to pirates from across Somalia.
"Piracy has spoiled our cultural values and created new social problems, such as introduction of alcohol, using drugs, and spreading sexually transmitted diseases. Piracy has also tarnished our image internationally, as Somalis are labeled as a piracy-prone society, although piracy activity is not exclusive to Somalis."
To add to Puntland's problems, in recent months, Somali pirates have turned to hijack Somali-owned small vessels or vessels transporting goods to and from Somalia, including wooden dhows carrying livestock, impacting the flow of trade through the region.
Puntland's difficult terrain makes the battle against piracy even more difficult for the hilly and rocky terrain makes some of the beaches accessible only from sea.
As a means to combat piracy, Puntland has also brought in a new Anti-Piracy Law and has added capacity to its judicial system and increased remuneration to the judiciary so that piratges can be prosecuted.
"We want to develop our coastal communities, give vocational training, creating job opportunities. India can help us in these tasks," said Farole as he expressed the hope that in 10 years time, Somalia would be "reunited and prosperous, and an honourable part of the world community."
The President's delegation includes Interior Minister, Abdullahi Ahmed Jama.
