Open Writing

Chapter 20
Captain Bandaranayake (continued)

The Times: 20 December 2009.

SOMALIA: CONSCIOUS PIRATES?

Another ship has fallen prey to pirates operating off the coast of Somalia,
the sixth in as many weeks. But perhaps this is a hijacking with a difference.

The MV Kofi Koranteng, a relatively small cargo vessel, carrying much needed
food supplies to Mogadishu, was intercepted by a fast moving patrol boat and
boarded by individuals who appear to be of both Kenyan and Somali origin. The
group were well organised and articulate in making clear their demands. Their
statement issued from the ship’s bridge was sent to the Reuters News Agency,
among others. It read as follows:

‘As representatives of the Jubbada Hoose region of Somalia we hereby express
our gratitude to the United Nations and other donor agencies assisting with
food relief operations in our country. However, some of those same nations, especially
the Europeans, while giving with one hand, are responsible for continuous
pollution of Somalia’s coastline on the other. Somalia’s unfortunate status as a
failed state has created around the world, an impression that we will tolerate
dumping of industrial and other forms of waste, including by sinking of ailing
ships and their toxic cargoes, in our precious waters. For at least three years we
have seen the evidence of such unethical and shameless behaviour. Our beaches
are littered with rusting and leaking containers of hazardous substances which
we do not have the resources or expertise to dispose of. Our fishermen have witnessed
the unacceptable death of much marine wildlife as a direct consequence of
some countries’ disreputable, deceitful actions. Even the environmental group
Greenpeace has failed us. So now we must help ourselves.

We have taken charge of the MV Kofi Koranteng bound for Mogadishu
with a cargo of maize meal. Captain Bandaranayake and five of his most sen-
ior crew members will be taken to an undisclosed location on the mainland as our
guests. The remainder of his crew will stay on board. To enable the ship to continue
on its way, we will require a payment of one million Euros. We do not
care who puts up the money though it seems appropriate that this should come
principally from European nations and Italy in particular, since it is they whom
we suspect of dumping the greatest share of pollutants reaching our shores.

The money should be paid no later than midday Somali time on 25 December
(a Christmas present). We must emphasise that the payment is a form of
reparation for the damage which has been inflicted upon us.

We intend however,
with European help and cooperation, that the money should be used to finance
removal of those pollutants which we have managed to recover from the ocean.

The EU is requested to recruit a reputable waste removal organisation on our
behalf and to provide us with the name and country of origin of the company in
question. The company which gets the work will operate mainly on shore, but will
also have a brief to trawl the ocean off Somalia, for containerised waste which
may still be afloat. We can guarantee payment for the work undertaken with the
1 million Euros to be deposited with us.

If the money is not paid before our deadline expires, be assured we will sink
the MV Kofi Koranteng and its cargo. The crew would be left at a location to be
decided and communicated to you. Thereafter we would turn our attention to another
ship, doubling our demand to 2 million Euros.

The 1 million Euros should be dropped aboard MV Kofi Koranteng by a
small commercial helicopter at a time to be arranged between us. The approach of
any large military helicopter, or military marine vessel will be interpreted by us
as a hostile act. Any attempt to free the ship will result in Captain Bandaranayake
and his colleagues facing the consequences ashore. Channels aboard
ship will be kept open for the purpose of future communication.’

Leaders of this particular pirate group (photo above) appear to be a Somali
woman in her forties using the name of Amina Abdullahi, and one Nimrod
Changeywo, apparently a Kenyan national. Neither individual is known to the
presently tenuous Somali Government, which would not comment on the pirates’
actions.

Could it be that these ‘pirates’ have valid concerns in respect of Indian Ocean
pollution? The Kenyan Government has recently complained to the International
Maritime Organization that barrels of waste have been recovered off the tourist
town of Malindi. Kenyan investigators believe these to have drifted south from
Somalian waters.