The prime minister of Somalia has vowed his government would do everything possible to find the missing British couple feared kidnapped by pirates.
Speaking in London, Omar Sharmarke the prime minister of the west African country’s transitional government, expressed his concern for the plight of Paul and Rachel Chandler and said his government “will do everything it can, within its resources, to find this couple and return them safely”.
But in the speech at Chatham House, he said he wanted to correct the perception of pirates as criminals and said that Jack Sparrow, the main character of hit film Pirates of the Caribbean, “had a lot to answer for”.
“Somali piracy is broadly perceived solely as a criminal activity,” he said.
“It is rarely seen for what it really is, a desperate survival measure and in many coastal communities the only job available and the only viable means of income.”
Mr Sharmarke added “I suspect Captain Jack Sparrow has a great deal to answer for, but even in the 21st century piracy makes high drama on the high seas, and a news editor’s dream.”
He went on “The pirates, too, are acting to fill a vacuum in government and leadership. They too are responding to the loss and disappearance of their livelihoods".
“I do not condone it, I want it to stop, but I reflect on how humanely they treat the crews caught in the middle, and that 30% of each ransom is used to support the local community.”
“I am willing to co-operate with the international community and I welcome and thank the unprecedented international naval efforts to curtail the problem," he added.
PA