As the first trial of Somali pirates begins in Hamburg, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) expressed doubts that the trial will help deter piracy. "Until action is taken against the international criminal network behind the pirates, and until the European Union (EU) takes a decisive stance for peace in Somalia, the battle against piracy will remain fruitless," criticized the head of the Africa section at the STP, Ulrich Delius. "The solution to the piracy problem is not to be found at sea, but on land. Because Somalia is dominated by war and violence, there will always be more pirates to replace those arrested." In the past week at least 45 more people were killed in conflicts and by grenade bombardment from residential areas in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

Yesterday (Sunday), the fighting in Mogadishu escalated once again. Five people were killed and 15 wounded. Since January 2010, three hospitals in the city have taken in more than 7,000 people with gunshot wounds and grenade-caused injuries. Many of the wounded civilians were victims of war crimes. The civilian population of the city is caught in the crossfire between radical Islamic militias fighting one another, the Somali interim government's army, or the peacekeeping forces of the African Union (AMISOM). There is an urgent need for the EU to press for dialog between all parties to the conflicts, in order to develop new perspectives for a lasting peace.

Somali pirates are responsible for 44 percent of the 289 acts of piracy reported worldwide since January 2010. Currently they are holding more than 22 ships with more than 500 crew members hostage. "Operation Atalanta, the EU's military operation fighting piracy, has not done anything to change the fact that attacking foreign ships is becoming more lucrative all the time," explained Delius. While in 2009, an average of 1 million US dollars per ship was paid in ransom by shipping company owners, this year the average was USD 3 million. "Piracy is a booming business, and not only off the coast of Somalia – Somali pirates are also operating around the faraway Seychelles islands and in the Red Sea. They launch their attacks from "mother ships" that lie hundreds of kilometers from the Somali coast," stated Delius.

"This is not the work of poverty-stricken fishers, but rather of highly organized gangs. These criminal networks are operating with international support." The US State Department suspects companies in the United Arab Emirates and in Kenya of promoting piracy. Their middlemen are also said to be active in South Africa, India and Great Britain. "If you want to hinder the work of these pirates, you have to put the masterminds, the informants and the money launderers on trial, otherwise the battle against piracy is already lost," stated Delius.

For further information, please contact Ulrich Delius (0049 - (0)551 - 4990627).

Translated by Elizabeth Crawford