A Somali pirate kingpin nicknamed “Big Mouth” has renounced a life of hijacking ships.
Before his announcement on Friday, Mohamed “Afweyne” Abdi Hassan’s profession earned him fame and fort une – prior to an international naval crackdown that has curbed attacks on maritime commercial and pleasure craft.
A UN Monitoring Group report on Somalia in 2010 said that commanded bandits in the Arabian Sea and off the Indian Ocean coast of East Africa for almost a decade, raking in millions of dollars in ransom payments.
“I have given up piracy and succeeded in encouraging more youth to give up piracy,” Afweyne told the Reuters news agency.
“This came as a result of my efforts for a long period. The boys also took the decision like me. It was not due to fear from warships, it was just a decision,” he said by mobile phone from his base in Adado in central Somalia.
Security analysts saw Afweyne’s gesture as symbolic, saying he had already grown rich off the proceeds of piracy and seemed to have decided it was no longer worth the increasing risk.
Rory Lamrock, intelligence analyst with security firm AKE, said Afweyne’s move “may be a tacit recognition that the Somali piracy phenomenon no longer yields the lucrative criminal gains it did in previous years, thanks to successful naval operations and improved security and awareness on merchant vessels”.
“[Pirates] are getting shot up or arrested by private security companies and navies so he is finding it increasingly difficult to find recruits,” said Alan Cole, head of the anti-piracy programme at the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
“As many as 1,500 young men have left home hoping to come back rich and not come home at all,” Cole said from Nairobi, capital of Somalia’s southern neighbour, Kenya.
Deterring pirates
In 2011, Somali piracy in the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Aden and the northwestern Indian Ocean netted $160m, and cost the world economy some $7bn, according to the American One Earth Future foundation.
But successful hijackings have been declining steadily since 2010 thanks to concerted patrolling by an international coalition of warships and the increasing use of armed private security guards on merchant ships.
Just seven ships were seized in the vast area of the Indian Ocean off Somalia in the first 11 months of last year, compared to 24 in the whole of 2011, after NATO, the European Union and other nations dispatched warships there.
Adado regional President Mohamed Aden Tiicey said Afweyne had actually withdrawn from active piracy some years ago, and was behind the surrender of 120 pirates over the past week.
“In 2010 our administration pardoned him and the then-interim government of Somalia also pardoned him and gave him a diplomatic passport,” Tiicey said.
The UN Monitoring Group said last year pirate chieftains such as Afweyne were being protected by Somali authorities from arrest.
It said it had evidence a diplomatic passport had been issued to Afweyne by then-Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed as a reward for what Somali officials said was Afweyne’s involvement in anti-piracy activities.
However, the UNODC said it remained sceptical about Afweyne’s announcement.
“He’s a criminal so is by implication dishonest, so we take this with a pinch of salt,” said Cole.
The UN report said pirate leaders are now increasingly involved in land-based kidnap for ransom of foreign tourists and
aid workers in northern Kenya and Somalia, as well as selling services as counter-piracy experts and consultants in ransom negotiations, and exploring “new types of criminal activity”.
Source: Aljezeera
No more pirates in central Somalia.Somali government let by Xasan Shiekh Maxamuud is doing a good job and taking over to control almost the whole Southern and central Somalia.Things are improving and future looks bright also business is booming in Mogadishu else where.All we hear is good news and even me myself is planing to go back home soon (Mogadishu).
I love my Country.
kkkk, Hassan NGO his orders only works from mogadishu- qoryooley and from mogadishu to baladweyn, does not work in Puntland,Jubbaland…………..
daroodland needs to be crashed
They ARE too strong for that and sophisticated
Make sure to keep your wife and daughter safe from the Somali-Police forces 🙂
They might knock on your hotel room door at midnight to search your bed for terrorists!
🙂 good luck in Moqadishu make sure to take pictures and share them NOT!
good luck bro….we somalilander love to see hamar in bright light.
however the pirate were all majerten sheytans.
the most evil people among somalis
which means that all the terrorists are isaaq then?
Ayan Hersi needs you KFC. Please help her cause…. KKKK
Marjerteen are so lost. Please acknowledge they hate themselves. They hate Somalia. They hate Islam. They hate Africans. Infact! They hate all that isn't part of their desperate, intolerant, criminal, greedy selves. Puntland translates as greedy. self appointing users. Hateful dumb and semi educated excuse of human beings who use the lesser for a few to gain prosperity.
I jama.
Your mind is full of baseless story.
In reality
* Mj build their state without any real assistance from anyone, today stable and prosperous.
* Mj are responsible build current addmin in mogadishu (Road map), this proves they are real
somali
* Mj never declare independent thoe they could if they want but believe unity of somalia.
* Mj will be always influential it's in their DNA since they had kingdom.
———————————————————————————————————————————
What your folks contributed somali society.
* They contributed nothing but winging, while rest of somalis move on Darood,Hawiye,Digil-mir.
" You always believe british backpacker will give you recognition "shame on you"
" Tried and failed to create "imaginary counrty call somaliland".
* You tried to blindfold the IC telling them there's democrary in s/land region while misplacing ballot boxes and shooting innocent peaceful demostradoras.
* Your addmin still lying own ppl,but those days are over because most folks see [ light at the end of the tunnel ].
What you need to do is [soul search] before you comment other somali state.
ifirst of all im dhulbahante even mj are my harti bros ido agree that there politicians are greedy.they left LA in 2007 they still think somehow that they control dhuloz.they provided no material support and when harti-isaaq war garowe asked for mj prisoners of war while isaaq said free every single isaaq. dhuloz are in burco prisoners to this very day.farole went as far as calling pro khatumo terrorists while calling the council in hargeisa a nation . sources provided upon request.
btw i do not understand your remarks about the lost ayan.
@ ahmed habey-haguugu.
Mohamed abdi hassan "Afweyne", he's Haber-gidir or gidaar from hobyo not Majeertan. get your facts straight al-idoros.
Who loves the Lime light?
Somalia culture and sense of ethics are non existent!
NEXT we will see a press conference held by the Rapists of Gerowe to declare they have stopped their traditional behavior.
YOU become DOG without LEASH……………………..
@Asad
You sound like Faroole! just kidding!. Things are different in Somalia now,because as you know the world is changing and we somalis have been waiting this for so long.There is old saying "opportunity knocks the door but once".This is the time Somalis should unite as one and do something good for our kids and Our Country.Ask not what your country can do for you but ask what you can do for your country.
@ Galmudug.
kkkkk, you sound like JFK. that is right somalis should unite, BUT we need good honesty straight forward leadership not like Hassan NGO who have no clue how somali fabric society works, he spent almost half of his life as an NGO no wonder somalia it's in danger going back to civil war again.
semi-autonomous state such as Puntland+Jubbaland will exist no question about that.
By the way it was good move galmudug in baraxley return the private they kidnap in Galkacyo two days.
Look ate you, you dismiss a man that done more for Somalia than you can ever do in your life. You dismiss a man that was there when you fled and he is still there. He knows more about Somalia and its problem than a retard like you knows, who just knows how to spit garbage out his mouth behind a screen. From looking at his policies and how he is conducting it, he is perfect for the job.
Hassan NGO done nothing for somalia in reality he was subcontractor under NGO organizations paid good money. if he knows somalia well, why he's running into trouble now in somalia? ask this question yourself. one think is for sure he is not coming back, even some people said he may not even finish his Four year term.
EU,US,AU are all scaling back their support Hassan NGO his addmin, because they see him now he's causing more problem than Good. he's one of the lowest person ever held somali presidence in his story, he tried to divide somalis ethnic line and now he's paying heavy price……..more to come.
What trouble ? you mean dealing with a bunch of ungrateful refugees that are trying to forcefully turn the host into a guest mind you this isn't the first or even second time they've tried this but third and we all know what happened to the last two no need to explain (i bet they thought to themselves third time lucky didn't they).
And then there is Puntland a place full of the biggest snakes lurking in the grass of Somalia always ready with its venom to disrupt if things don't go their way but guess what what goes around comes around (if you are up to date then you should know what i mean) lets just say they're too busy with each other
EU,US,AU are all scaling back their support you've got wild imaginations little boy i bet you still believe in Never Never Land Too lol.
Listen the writing is in on the wall for the likes of Madobe his days are numbered unless he kisses the ring of Mogadishu for forgiveness his masters the Kenyans/IGAD cant help him because unlike what your pea brain came up with earlier the International community are on our presidents side (yes yours included) the sooner you realize it the better.
Its time to stop acting like spoiled brats because Siad Barre is not here no more to spoon feed you there was a huge gathering of elders from every corner of Somalia even as far as parts of Sland were they chose the MPs that in return chose this government no more said.
Here we again samale his/her little project always trying to create GANG camp. well, your little misleading project will not that is for sure.
YES, Hassan NGO moryan bit more than he could chew. ofcourse he's in trouble when 3.2 million somalis don't want you this is real problem. no one is refugee in kismayo it's just another MYTH from moryan camp, people controling kismayo + jubbaland are the indigenous.
It looks you still stack in the past, in your comment " they treid first,second and failed"k, you mean when xawadle xuuro killed more than 200 hundred innocent ppl mainly women and children. also delusionist blame ogaden or oromo is after our land, Ogaden have enough land to live on they don't need to take others land.
Your reading the wrong script here, folks controling kismayo are not only Og but DAROOD WEYNE. who ever comes there without permission will be crashed.
yea-yea same old music Puntland is this and that, Puntland will always be front when it comes somali affairs whether liked or not. nothing goes around comes around Puntland will solve own problem they done in the past and will do it now and the future. they are civilize ppl not like moryan+delusionist.
Your little brain tells you Mr Madobe is in charge all of kismayo or Jubbaland, your wrong. ppl control in these areas are coalition of DAROD WEYNE forces. i think you been eating either too much beans"digir" or chewing mirra. ppl in jubbaland will decide their future NOT Hassan NGO nor IGAD,they are two million strong.
The IC aware the situation in Jubbaland and respect the wishes of the majority Jubbaland not Hassan NGO his moryan style draft will not work here.
I think your very selfish person dragging this issue barre era, infact bare fed more moryan than Darood.
Last but not least, if elders gather from Qoryooley to Djibouti french boot camp, folks in Jubbaland does not concern about that, because this is Their land.
correct.. will not work
*****correct, will not work that for sure********
I am beginning to believe that these people are suffering from some sort of mental illness. When he has filled his pockets with xaram money then he professes to have changed, typical Hawiye/darood scum with no sense of shame.
He will go back to his thieving ways once his money has run out either that or he has found a more lucrative and less troublesome way of stealing by turning to politics, now there is another easy money for you, mark my words the Somali parliament is filled with these type of characters
PS. To think these are the type of characters they want us to share a country with again, no thanks NOT IN A MILLION YEARS, once bitten twice shy.
he is darood not hawiye
3huuuuuuuunna.
NO he's Hawiye from xibin-xaab, hobyo,
Dee -dee 3hunn
You are judging clans collectively?? Anyone with a brain would dismiss you and class you as a retard. What shame have you when you forcefully claim a region that is not yours? You and your people hold Awdal and Khaatumo by force and you think you are better than the south? I can name many more if you want, just shut up before I reveal how sad your are.
Liar1
People in Awdal and Sool/Buhodle are part and parcel of Somaliland and nobody could hold them against their will, you bloody fool! The people in those regions are proud Somalilanders and without them, Somaliland will go nowhere. As an awdalite, without collaborating with our nearest countrymen of Somaliland, it won't possible for us to extend a bretherly hand to other Somalis in need.
No they're not the period
Ethiopia and Kenya both hold onto lands belonging to Somali people and the deal they make the Somalis who do not wish to be part of their Sovereign territorial integrity is the same deal Somaliland will make any minority groups who wish to be governed from Moqadishu.
Pack your bags, Sovereign territorial borders do not move. Since Somaliland-Republic territorial borders predate those of the United Somali-Republic borders then De-Jure right is in favor of Somaliland-Republic.
🙂 Majority Isaaq, Dir, Harti and other groups are in favor of the 18-May-1991 Independence and Recognition.
Alhamdullilah
Aaah, waan dhargee, saxanka iga durkiya?..Is this news? After he had his fill Afweyne has decided to renounce piracy. Walaahi, there are same shameless people in this world!. So, are we suppose to vote for him and support as a leader because he seen the light and seen the error of his ways..It is one thing to be a hustler, but, please, don't sell that stuff heree..kkkk….
he probably run for federal president of zomalia next time around…..scum bags mj
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