Al Jazeera English - Africa - 'Toxic waste' behind Somali piracy

Al Jazeera English - Africa - 'Toxic waste' behind Somali piracy: "'Toxic waste' behind Somali piracy
By Najad Abdullahi




Some pirates operating off Somalia's coast claim to act as coastguards [GALLO/GETTY]

Somali pirates have accused European firms of dumping toxic waste off the Somali coast and are demanding an $8m ransom for the return of a Ukranian ship they captured, saying the money will go towards cleaning up the waste.

The ransom demand is a means of 'reacting to the toxic waste that has been continually dumped on the shores of our country for nearly 20 years', Januna Ali Jama, a spokesman for the pirates, based in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, said.

'The Somali coastline has been destroyed, and we believe this money is nothing compared to the devastation that we have seen on the seas.'

The pirates are holding the MV Faina, a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks and military hardware, off Somalia's northern coast.

According to the International Maritime Bureau, 61 attacks by pirates have been reported since the start of the year.

While money is the primary objective of the hijackings, claims of the continued environmental destruction off Somalia's coast have been largely ignored by the regions's maritime authorities.

Dumping allegations

Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy for Somalia confirmed"