Anti-piracy protest held in Adado town

Bar-kulan

January 14, 2012 Markacadeey

Hundreds of Adado residents today took to the streets in protest of piracy activities in the region, just days after the notorious Somali pirate kingpin Mohamed Abdi Hassan, who is also known as “Afweyne” announced his retirement.

The protest organised by area administration and civil society groups was also aimed at welcoming the more than 100 pirates who announced their retirement alongside with their leader Afweyne and to encourage others to quit piracy.

Area district commissioner Ahmed Salah Ibrahim said the protest signals the local community’s commitment to see an immediate end to piracy in the region to safeguard the dignity of the Somali community at large.

On Wednesday last week, Afweyne and a group of other pirates announced they quit piracy, a business he has been involved for couple of years.

Afweyne who was mentioned in a UN report last year as “a pirate kingpin being protected by Somali authorities” has been centre of controversy after the report alleged that he was issued with a diplomatic passport authorized by top Somalia leader.

According to the UN report, Afweyne travelled to Malaysia in April last year using a diplomatic passport authorized by immediate TFG president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, a charge Ahmed denied.

Afweyne also had in his possession a document issued by the Somali presidency stating he was involved in “counter-piracy activities,” according to the UN Monitoring Group on Somalia and Eritrea. But in quick rejoinder, the then Somali President criticized the monitoring group’s conclusions as being unbalanced in a letter to the security council, adding that the report contained “unsubstantiated allegations.”

Ahmed had earlier insisted the passport issued to Afweyne was “one of several inducements” that sought to encourage him to dismantling his pirate network, Reuters reported.

Afweyne told Bar-kulan they took the decision to get out of piracy sometimes back last year only that they have now officially announced their walkout of the practice.

He said they have in the first place got involved into piracy activities after their fishing activities were destroyed by illegal foreign fishing vessels destroying their fishing nets and decided to take up arms to defend their business.

The former pirate leader called on the Somali government to rehabilitate pirate-defectors and equip them with the necessary skills to eke them a living.

Afweyne also rubbished claims that they quitted piracy after facing constant pressure from International forces tackling piracy off the coast of Somalia, adding that they understand risks associated with piracy, citing loss of life, dignity and causing inflation in the region hence making the life of the low-income-families difficult.

He urged other groups in Somalia to quit illegal activates and pursue their normal lives.

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