Piracy rampant across horn of Africa
In this day and age, piracy often conjures up notions of illegal downloads or a throwback to big bearded, parrot-toting men with teeth ravaged by scurvy. But the issue of maritime piracy remains alive and rampant in the Gulf of Aden and across the horn of Africa. The proliferation of Somali pirates along the busy shipping lane has given the region the dubious distinction of being one of the world’s most dangerous waterways. The absence of an effective central government in Somalia for over 17 years has allowed the maritime criminals to operate with relative impunity and demand millions in ransom for hijacked vessels. Just days ago a Ukrainian ship laden with arms was hijacked en route to Kenya. The hijackers have demanded a US$20 million payoff for its release despite being surrounded by three foreign warships.