STORY: The waters off Somalia are the most dangerous in the world. Piracy has flourished in lawless Somalia since the collapse of central government 17 years ago. In an effort to combat the problem, the UN Security Council earlier this year passed a resolution allowing foreign warships to enter Somalia's territorial waters to fight piracy. But it hasn't made Somali waters any safer. Attacks at sea have soared this year. This is the pirate's base - Eyl is a lawless former fishing outpost, part of the self-declared autonomous Puntland region within Somalia. The Puntland authorities are critical of foreign efforts to stamp out piracy. [Abdul-Kadir Yusuf Muse, Puntland Region Fishing and Ports Assistant Minister]: "We know they have been given full mandate by the security council to intervene when the pirates strikes on Somali waters." The Puntland authorities want the United Nations to set up an international force to police Somali territorial waters. Dozens of ships have been hijacked for ransom this year. It's a lucrative business. Most captured vessels fetch thousands sometime millions of dollars in ransoms. Hostages are usually treated well. Shipping companies are urged not to pay...but most do. On Thursday, a German ship and Japanese tanker were freed along with their crew, but pirates are currently holding about 10 ships for ransom and more than 130 crew members.
Keywords: Ntd, NTDTV, News, Somalia, dangerous, Piracy, UN, Security, Council, mandate, resolution, Puntland
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