Somalia: “Ransom Used To Drill Water Wells, Fund Hospitals” Says Pirates
Posted By Rooble On April 18, 2009 @ 7:08 am In Africa | 3 Comments
Mogadishu, 18 April 2009 (somalilandpress) - Somali pirate groups have reiterated their threat to respond to activities carried out in Somali waters by French and American warships. About 11 Somali pirates arrested by the French will be taken to a Kenyan court. The spokesman of the Somali pirate groups, Sugule Ali who gave an interview to Somalilandpress, said they are planning to defend themselves from foreign warships carrying out operations in order to fight pirates who became famous for the hijacking ships off Somalia.
Ali threatened that they will take a serious step, and will target French and American warships. He expressed sadness following the killing of three pirates by US forces during the rescue operation of Richard Phillips who was the captain of a Danish-owned ship.
[Ali] To legalize the killing of people or plunder them is a dream, it is only God who can do something to us, human beings cannot do anything to us and we will defend ourselves God willing. The French will get what they planted, they will get what they want.
Somalilandpress: So you are still threatening the French government?
[Ali] We are forced to and we will carryout serious steps against them which they will not like. We will also respond to the Americans in the same way they had responded [by killing three pirates during the rescue operation of Capt Richard Phillips].
Somalilandpress: What do you do with the ransom money paid by foreign ships ?
[Ali] The money received from ships as ransom: first, there is no functional government in Somalia to restore security. You could possibly know something about this already [about what pirates do with ransom money], we fund projects, we use the funds to protect our waters, we give part of [the money] to the [local authorities] in areas we live in order to set up militias to ensure security, we drill water wells. We also pay a lot of money to health institutions, we do very many things [with the money]. You should be aware of this and you could carryout your own research on what we do or planning to do.
Ali also said they have proofs that foreign ship [illegally] take away the country’s resources
Abdinasir Mohamed
Somalilandpress
Mogadishu, Somalia