Sharp criticism of debate on operations against pirates

The Society for Threatened Peoples (GfbV) has described as absurd the public debate on tougher measures against pirates off the coast of Somalia on the part of the German armed forces. "Instead of combating the causes of the violence German politicians are acting nonsensically - just for the sake of acting”, said the GfbV Africa consultant, Ulrich Delius, on Thursday. "But gunboat diplomacy will merely increase the violence instead of effectively stopping the piracy in the long term.” The only effective way of taking away from the pirates their basis is to make sure that Somalia is stabilized and that measures are taken to combat the misery and poverty of the people in this country which has been plunged into war and chaos since 1991.

The European Union (EU) and the USA are now confronted in Somalia with the ruins of their own policies, criticised Delius. They share responsibility for the escalation of violence off the coast of Somalia since they have encouraged the rise of radical Islamists and the collapse of the state in Somalia. So the Islamists have been united and enormously strengthened by the military intervention of Ethiopia in Somalia in December 2006. Ethiopian troops held the country occupied for two years and committed countless violations of human rights up to their withdrawal in January 2009. Germany and the EU had pinned all their hopes on a transitional government supported by Ethiopia, a government which is practically powerless and hated throughout the country.

Human rights organisations called for years for a change of course in the Somalia policies of the EU. The failure of these policies shows up the complete futility of all that Europe has been doing in East Africa. The EU reacted too late and completely thoughtlessly in finally urging the transitional government to broaden out and to reach out to the representatives of all the main clans in the country. The objective of stabilizing Somalia in the long run and fostering peace requires more than merely offering humanitarian aid.

Ulrich Delius can also be reached at tel. ++49 (0)160 95 67 14 03.