Faced with increasing threats of pirates off the Somalian coast, the UN Security Council has renewed the authorisation to all member nations to use military force to fight the menace.
A United States sponsored resolution, adopted unanimously by the 15-member Council, calls on all countries and regional organisation with necessary capacity to deploy naval ships and military aircraft off Somalia coast to fight rampant piracy which also impeding the UN efforts to feed millions of hungry civilians in the strife torn country.
The authorisation, initially for one year period, comes in the wake of about 100 incidents involving pirates. Around 40 ships were taken over by them, including a Saudi supertanker holding some USD 100 million worth of oil. Last weekend, pirates came within meters of a luxury cruise ship.
The resolution asked Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to report within three months on ways to ensure long-term security off the coast of Somalia, notably for UN World Food Programme deliveries, and on a possible coordination and leadership role for the agency in rallying member states and regional organisations for such a goal.
Already, there are naval ships from several countries, operating off Horn of Africa but that has done little to check the piracy. The Council resolution opens the way for more vigorous and coordinated operations to clear the sea lanes off the pirates who have collected tens of million dollars in ransom.
The European Union is preparing to deploy five or ships with maritime surveillance aircraft in the Somali waters by December 8.
The resolution authorises use of force, "seizure and disposition of boats, vessels, arms and other related equipment" used or suspected of being uses for piracy which reached a peak off Somalia in which pirates had hijacked a
Ukrainian arms ship.
It does not specifically talk about the jurisdiction over captured pirates but diplomats said they could be treated under convention which would allow countries to put them on trial.
The Council said it continued "to be gravely concerned by the threat that piracy and armed robbery at sea against vessels pose to the prompt, safe and effective delivery of humanitarian aid to Somalia, to international navigation and the safety of commercial maritime routes, and to other vulnerable ships, including fishing activities in conformity with international law."
It welcomed steps by India, Canada, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, UK, US and regional and international organisations to counter piracy, specifically citing North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) escorts for WFP vessels and the European Union decision to launch a 12-month naval operation.
Taking note of the crisis situation in Somalia, which has been driven by factional fighting and had not had a functioning central government since 1991. The lack of capacity of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to interdict pirates as well as TFG requests for international aid, the resolution
authorises cooperating States and organisations to enter Somali territorial waters to repress piracy.
It also calls on countries, in cooperation with the shipping industry, the insurance industry and the UN International Maritime Organisation (IMO), to issue ships entitled to fly their flag appropriate advice on avoidance, evasion, and defensive techniques to take if under attack or threat of attack when sailing off the Somalian coast.