Somali president grants amnesty to young pirates

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has announced a general amnesty for young pirates to reduce the threat of piracy in Somali waters, AFP reported Thursday (February 28th).

“We have been negotiating with the pirates indirectly through the elders,” he said. “Piracy has to end.”

Mohamud will seek to offer “alternative means of earning a living” to young men who joined pirate gangs. Pirate kingpins, some of whom are wanted by Interpol, will not receive amnesty.

Piracy has dropped to a three-year low in Somali waters due to increased naval security efforts, but the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has warned that the threat has not been eradicated. Pirates are still holding seven boats and 113 hostages, according to the IMB.

ceegaag.com