Report points piracy finger at Yemen
Yemen's position above the Gulf of Aden makes it critical to the region
Also In The News
|
Captain John Terry atoned for a defensive error which gifted Germany a goal to head England to a 2-1 victory in their friendly in Berlin. |  |
Thursday, 20, Nov 2008 10:49
Growing piracy problems around the Horn of Africa and Gulf of Aden could worsen dramatically if instability in Yemen continues into the future, a report warns today.
Ginny Hill's report for Chatham House warns a failure to tackle the problems facing this "weak and incomplete state" could create a lawless region stretching from northern Kenya to Saudi Arabia.
As a result piracy, smuggling and violent jihad could flourish, the report warns.
Somalia is already a hotbed of piracy, as seen by the hijacking of the Sirius Star supertanker this week.
As private interests in Yemen provide weapons for Somali warlords and do not have any motive for ending piracy the problem will not go away in a hurry.
"Yemen's window of opportunity to shape its own future and create a working post-oil economy is narrowing as oil production falls closer to consumption levels," Ms Hill writes.
"The scale of the problem and the speed of action required pose a challenge both to the international community and to advocates of reform within Yemen."
Current efforts by the international community addressing the piracy problem focus on limiting its impact rather than focusing on its underlying causes.
Today Russia announced it would send more warships to the region in a bid to solve "out of control" naval security for commercial vessels operating there.