Medeshi Dec 19, 2008
Pirate attacks threaten food price hikes in African nations
Pirate attacks wreaking havoc on one of the world's key shipping routes could cause sharp price hikes for food deliveries to African countries that can little afford it, port operators say.
"The costs of maritime transport will be affected -- either by a detour to avoid the Gulf of Aden route or by insurance fees -- and will be directly passed on to consumers," said Jerome Ntibarekerwa, head of the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa.
"For African countries, especially those that are isolated, the cost of transporting imported products already represents 70 percent of the final consumer price."
Pirates have attacked more than 100 ships since the start of the year in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean off lawless and conflict-torn Somalia despite the recent presence of foreign navies in the region seeking to stop them.
In the latest wave of attacks, pirates hit three ships in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday while Chinese sailors backed up by international naval vessels fought off attackers trying to hijack their vessel.
International efforts to counter the increasingly bold raids were boosted late Tuesday when the United Nations Security Council approved operations against the pirates' land lairs in Somalia.
But the threat of repercussions for both the region and the rest of the world remains -- and the loot currently held by the pirates is a clear illustration.
They now hold at least 15 ships, including a Saudi-owned super-tanker with two million barrels of crude oil and an arms-laden Ukrainian cargo vessel.
While residents of African nations are facing increases in prices on food and other imports, the ports themselves are also at risk, officials say.
Ntibarekerwa spoke of the possibility of "seeing certain companies frankly deserting our ports, causing slowdowns in merchandise transport and making it impossible to send our exports."
He said the pirate attacks threatened "serious implications" for ports.
Authorities in Djibouti, a small nation bordering Somalia that relies heavily on shipping, are particularly concerned.
"Piracy is among our biggest worries," said Djibouti Transport Minister Hassan Bahdon.
With Somalia, which has not had a functioning government for almost two decades, unable to clamp down on the pirates itself and international navies struggling to patrol the vast region, port officials say coastal African nations must unite against the problem.
"We are going to raise this problem at the next (African Union) summit in January to attempt to find a common position on the problem and to harmonise our legislative frameworks," said Imed Zamit, head of the African Union's maritime transport unit.
He said "indispensable African trade occurs by sea and through the ports."
The port management association is also attempting to have its members adopt a common approach that authorises land military operations that would allow them to pursue pirates.
"The draft agreement is ready. All that's left is for the member states to accept it," said Ntibarekerwa. "We must also discuss cooperation between the European Union (anti-piracy) force and our member states, and the installation of a common anti-piracy operations centre, likely in Djibouti."
A European Union naval force started anti-piracy operations on December 8 and has six warships, three surveillance planes and four helicopters.
Ntibarekerwa said countries in southern and eastern Africa have not been unified in their approach because some have not been as badly affected by piracy as others.
But that attitude cannot last, he said, "because piracy and its consequences, along with the global financial and economic crisis, will have a particularly negative effect on our line of business in Africa."
Pirate attacks wreaking havoc on one of the world's key shipping routes could cause sharp price hikes for food deliveries to African countries that can little afford it, port operators say.
"The costs of maritime transport will be affected -- either by a detour to avoid the Gulf of Aden route or by insurance fees -- and will be directly passed on to consumers," said Jerome Ntibarekerwa, head of the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa.
"For African countries, especially those that are isolated, the cost of transporting imported products already represents 70 percent of the final consumer price."
Pirates have attacked more than 100 ships since the start of the year in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean off lawless and conflict-torn Somalia despite the recent presence of foreign navies in the region seeking to stop them.
In the latest wave of attacks, pirates hit three ships in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday while Chinese sailors backed up by international naval vessels fought off attackers trying to hijack their vessel.
International efforts to counter the increasingly bold raids were boosted late Tuesday when the United Nations Security Council approved operations against the pirates' land lairs in Somalia.
But the threat of repercussions for both the region and the rest of the world remains -- and the loot currently held by the pirates is a clear illustration.
They now hold at least 15 ships, including a Saudi-owned super-tanker with two million barrels of crude oil and an arms-laden Ukrainian cargo vessel.
While residents of African nations are facing increases in prices on food and other imports, the ports themselves are also at risk, officials say.
Ntibarekerwa spoke of the possibility of "seeing certain companies frankly deserting our ports, causing slowdowns in merchandise transport and making it impossible to send our exports."
He said the pirate attacks threatened "serious implications" for ports.
Authorities in Djibouti, a small nation bordering Somalia that relies heavily on shipping, are particularly concerned.
"Piracy is among our biggest worries," said Djibouti Transport Minister Hassan Bahdon.
With Somalia, which has not had a functioning government for almost two decades, unable to clamp down on the pirates itself and international navies struggling to patrol the vast region, port officials say coastal African nations must unite against the problem.
"We are going to raise this problem at the next (African Union) summit in January to attempt to find a common position on the problem and to harmonise our legislative frameworks," said Imed Zamit, head of the African Union's maritime transport unit.
He said "indispensable African trade occurs by sea and through the ports."
The port management association is also attempting to have its members adopt a common approach that authorises land military operations that would allow them to pursue pirates.
"The draft agreement is ready. All that's left is for the member states to accept it," said Ntibarekerwa. "We must also discuss cooperation between the European Union (anti-piracy) force and our member states, and the installation of a common anti-piracy operations centre, likely in Djibouti."
A European Union naval force started anti-piracy operations on December 8 and has six warships, three surveillance planes and four helicopters.
Ntibarekerwa said countries in southern and eastern Africa have not been unified in their approach because some have not been as badly affected by piracy as others.
But that attitude cannot last, he said, "because piracy and its consequences, along with the global financial and economic crisis, will have a particularly negative effect on our line of business in Africa."
