Almost thirty years after a volatile civil war in the early 1990s, the people of Somalia are left in disarray. We’re looking at perspectives on the pirates – and to begin – we go to a fascinating report from the CIA on the country of Somalia.
There is no functioning central government. The average wage is $ 600 dollars US per year.
The average person is expected to live less than 50 years. The literacy rate is about 38%...
Some have little hope – and the riches offered by piracy, are attractive...
We tracked sources who looked at the emergence of piracy.
FOX News says disenfranchised fisherman became angry over falling fish stock and the threat of illegal fishing in the early 1990s.
The Hindu further explains, “When they began, Somalia’s pirates cast themselves as “Robin Hoods of the sea... Much of the money they took as “fines” went back into local schools, hospitals and businesses.”
An ABC News report says that’s no longer the case...
“It was surprising to discover that most were between the ages of 17 and 19. Defense Secretary Robert Gates called them, "Untrained teenagers with heavy weapons."”
The LA Times notes, “Amid soaring inflation, civil war and rising malnutrition, many Somalis are resorting to almost anything to survive. Entire villages along the coast now engage in piracy... Idle fishermen offer boats and knowledge of the coastline. Foreign businessmen provide the money for guns, radios and satellite phones....”
National Geographic points out the irony in piracy... such vagrant acts of piracy are “driving up the cost of international shipping and cutting off the flow of food aid to the millions of Somalis who rely on it.”
Over the months Newsy.com has covered this story one of the questions has been how can the pirates be stopped? Well The New York Times highlights that Somali government officials get 30 percent of the take – making the problem difficult to solve.
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