I was interviewed by Namrud Berhane of the
Ethiopian Reporter for the article "
What without Aweys in Somalia?"
Here is one of the questions:
Question: The issue of piracy is one major problem that has become daunting not only to Somalia but the international community as a whole. Do you think current efforts of battling it on sea will help the situation at all, when stability on the land still seems to evade the country?
My response: I have been arguing for months that the highest priority is to resolve the situation in Somalia on the ground, not the high seas. Although the large international naval presence has diminished the number of successful pirate attacks, it can never totally eliminate them. This will only happen when there is a national government in Somalia that is in control of the country, is widely accepted by the Somali people and has a viable coast guard in place. At the same time, the international community must do its part now to help prevent illegal foreign fishing off Somali shores and take steps to help end any dumping of toxic waste that may still happen from time to time.
