In video: Meet the pirates
Two Somalis tell Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Adow why they turned to piracy.
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| Somali piracy began as a deterrent to illegal fishing but it has now become a booming business |
In recent years piracy has increased dramatically off the coast of Somalia, luring many young men to the high seas in the hope of netting big catches.
Two Somalis tell Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Adow, the only international journalist reporting from Puntland, the semi-autonomous region in north-eastern Somalia which is home to most of the country’s pirates, why they turned to piracy.
| Abdulrashid Muse Mohamed, in prison for piracy |
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Abdulrashid Muse Mohammed used to be a fisherman but he is now serving a 20 year prison sentence for involvement in piracy. He says: “I would like to tell the media and the international community, we went into this because of need and unemployment after our livelihoods were destroyed. The cause of this is the destruction of the Somali state.” |
| Abdulrashid Ahmed, pirate |
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Abdulrashid Ahmed, nicknamed Juqraafi or “geography”, is a well-known figure among Somalia’s pirates and was involved in the hijacking of a Greek ship in February. He has been accused of helping to fund current acts of piracy and he explains that “those who have been paid [their] ransom sponsor the other [pirates]”. |