Somali Pirates

I admit that I am behind in my movie viewing, and by this I mean I don’t get out to the movies that often, so it was nice to see that one of the movies playing in the Bahamas (they are also behind the local timeline on this) was Tom Hanks’ film, Captain Phillips, based on the true story of an act of piracy on the high seas. It was a good movie though the suspense was a little overdrawn out near the end in the lifeboat segments, just my opinion. Then I saw that one of the Somali born actors, (more recently from Minnesota) was up for a Golden Globe and I thought that was pretty cool. Even though he didn’t win, he was worthy.

Now I read in the news that the Somali gangs are at it again and not just in the movies. Pirates have seized first ship in Somali area once again, the first since 2012. In 2011 there were 176 confirmed piracy attacks in the region and in 2012 there were 36. In 2013 and no ships were successfully seized but the threat of pirates still remained. In this most recent attack the vessel under siege is being crewed by Indians, Egyptians and Syrians and was boarded by a gang of eight or nine pirates. Perhaps five gunmen are still on board. The ship was also one that had been attacked in 2011, but they escaped that time. The vessel has been identified as the MV Marzooqah, and Andrew Mwangura, secretary general of the Seafarers Union of Kenya, says they are now trying to follow this ship to try to find out which pirate group is holding them and what they are demanding.

Despite the higher insurance rates and more international naval vigilance shipping in this part of the world is risky business. In the movie there was a good ending for Captain Phillips and a bad ending for the pirates, I can’t help but wonder what the ending in this most recent situation will be.