Following moves to allow private security firms to protect German merchant shipping against piracy off the Horn of Africa, some state governments are demanding that police officers and soldiers be used to guard vessels. German commentators say the onus is on shipowners to keep their fleets safe.
The wave of piracy around the Horn of Africa, which has reached a peak in recent years, shows no sign of slowing down — and the rest of the world seems almost powerless to stop it. With Somalia still without a functioning government, scores of young men continue to set out to sea to hijack ships passing along the vital trade route. The vessels and their crews are then held hostage for ransom, an increasingly lucrative activity.
A wide-ranging international naval mission has not succeeded in stopping the pirates, with 163 attacks reported in the region in the first half of 2011. Now some in Germany are demanding a more official level of protection for merchant ships. Up till now, the use of private security guards on board German ships has been a legal gray area. But following recent calls to change Germany’s laws to allow the practice, some state governments are demanding German police officers and soldiers help protect merchant ships directly.
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