00:02:00:10 00:02:05:09 04:24

One o'clock. We have 15 minutes.

Are we going through town?

 

00:02:05:12 00:02:09:15 04:03

There, go left. There, quick, go left.

It is one of those countries that take a lot of effort to get into. And once you’re in, you wonder why you insisted on going. (…)

 

Somalia: utterly lawless, extremely dangerous, and complicated in every way.

 

We are here to see the pirates.

 

00:02:40:02 00:02:43:03 03:01

This was not made by the Soviets.

 

00:02:43:06 00:02:44:19 01:13

Grenades.

 

00:02:47:22 00:02:54:15 06:18

Ivan, there are two guns here.

And how many automatic rifles?

 

00:02:54:18 00:03:00:10 05:17

How much ransom did they pay?

- How much did you get for the ship?

 

00:03:00:13 00:03:02:10 01:22

Six million dollars.

 

Filming in Puntland can only be done after taking solid security measures. We have six permanent bodyguards. Our base is a guesthouse in a guarded compound. We are voluntary hostages in the middle of a pirate area.

 

Our first destination is Bosasso Harbour, the cradle of Somali piracy. The problems started here a few years ago when Somali fishermen hijacked foreign trawlers that came to fish in the Somali seas without permits. Illegal fishing boats from all over the world came to these well-stocked waters and practically cleaned them out.

 

00:03:38:08 00:03:43:23 05:15

Hey, those are mine. Hands off, you.

We haven't caught much as it is.

 

Clearly there’s not much fish left, as is shown by the meagre catch the Bosasso fishermen bring ashore at dawn

 

00:03:54:13 00:03:59:15 05:02

We're up to our necks in trouble.

 

00:03:59:18 00:04:05:18 06:00

In fact the only way out for us

is to stop fishing altogether.

 

00:04:05:21 00:04:11:17 05:21

We have no manpower and no means

at all to tackle these illegal fishermen...

 

00:04:11:20 00:04:16:04 04:09

...and the naval vessels who protect them.

 

00:04:16:07 00:04:18:05 01:23

The one is even worse than the other.

 

According to independent observers there are indeed naval vessels, some European, that protect the illegal trawlers. In addition, the fishermen claim that their nets are torn to pieces. They are at their wits’ end.

 

00:04:33:16 00:04:37:07 03:16

Please tell our story

to the whole world...

 

00:04:37:10 00:04:42:01 04:16

...and mostly to those countries

sending their naval vessels on us.

 

00:04:42:04 00:04:45:07 03:03

They have to stop those illegal fishing boats.

 

00:04:45:10 00:04:48:19 03:09

Please hear our cry for help.

 

00:04:48:22 00:04:55:02 06:05

Please help us. Everything we had here

has been wiped out.

 

Practically every country in the world now deploys the most modern naval vessels and even submarines against the pirates here. Somalia itself has one single vessel. That’s the entire coastguard. But lack of money usually keeps the patrol boat in the harbour.

 

00:05:13:05 00:05:20:24 07:19

We hardly ever put out to sea

for that reason. We get very little support.

 

00:05:21:02 00:05:24:12 03:10

We lack so many things here.

 

00:05:24:15 00:05:32:24 08:09

We don't have any speedboats,

there's no radar or telephone...

 

00:05:33:02 00:05:36:05 03:03

...and not enough money

to pay the salaries...

 

00:05:36:08 00:05:42:03 05:20

...or to buy fuel.

 

00:05:42:06 00:05:46:20 04:14

In actual fact we have nothing

and we need everything.

 

While a regular Armada now guards the sea, the hijackers have free play on the coast. Curiously enough, the warships hardly ever collaborate with the authorities on shore. The Somali seas have become an international playground for self-serving naval vessels that are there to combat terrorism, protect illegal fishery, polish up their patriotic image, test new arms.... You name it.

 

00:06:12:13 00:06:15:05 02:17

Clearly they have their own interests.

 

00:06:15:08 00:06:19:00 03:17

If they were serious

about tackling piracy...

 

00:06:19:03 00:06:24:06 05:03

...they would have solved it ages ago.

 

00:06:24:09 00:06:26:07 01:23

This is Puntland, our own region.

 

00:06:26:10 00:06:29:02 02:17

We know exactly where they are

and what they are doing...

 

00:06:29:05 00:06:32:05 03:00

...but we lack the means to confront them.

 

00:06:32:08 00:06:35:01 02:18

We need support, not a fleet.

 

00:06:35:04 00:06:37:23 02:19

We could have solved the problem

from the coast.

 

00:06:49:11 00:06:55:04 05:18

Foreigners are a prey here in Somalia,

so this is the only way we can work:

 

00:06:55:07 00:06:57:08 02:01

A hit-and-run approach.

 

00:06:57:11 00:07:01:11 04:00

We leave the compound

with a small army of bodyguards.

 

00:07:01:14 00:07:04:14 03:00

We film fast and get out of there.

 

Back in our base camp we try to get in touch with pirates with the aid of our contacts. Since the authorities are breathing down the pirates’ necks more than ever, this is not an easy job.

 

00:07:19:07 00:07:24:04 04:22

Go to that old man.

He will send someone.

 

00:07:25:17 00:07:27:04 01:12

Yes.

 

00:07:28:04 00:07:32:03 03:24

Bring that guy we talked about. OK, good.

 

00:07:34:23 00:07:37:20 02:22

We lost the connection,

but he's bringing someone else.

 

00:07:37:23 00:07:41:21 03:23

But they're afraid?

- Yes, extremely.

 

00:07:41:24 00:07:47:08 05:09

They know the police are looking

for pirates in the towns too.

 

00:07:47:11 00:07:52:08 04:22

So they're very secretive,

and also afraid of journalists.

 

00:07:52:11 00:07:56:15 04:04

They know that journalists

are tailed by the police.

 

00:07:56:18 00:07:59:11 02:18

So finding one of them is really hard.

 

Meanwhile, our guide has managed to get us permission to film inside a prison. Bosasso’s Chief of Police himself will collect us and drive us out in convoy to the prison on the edge of town.

 

Dozens of hijackers are said to be imprisoned there.

 

The prison compound looks like a medieval fortress from an old movie.

 

(...)

 

As it turns out, it is medieval, except for the weapons and the four-wheel drives

 

00:08:57:00 00:09:02:01 05:01

There are 285 pirates in this prison.

 

00:09:03:23 00:09:09:14 05:16

Some of them were captured at sea.

 

00:09:09:17 00:09:13:10 03:18

Others were arrested

when they came ashore.

 

00:09:13:13 00:09:16:02 02:14

OK, let's go in and see.

 

00:09:26:13 00:09:28:05 01:17

Why do you cover your faces?

 

00:09:28:08 00:09:30:18 02:10

We don't want to be filmed.

 

00:09:34:06 00:09:37:22 03:16

There are about 150 men in this room.

 

00:09:38:00 00:09:42:19 04:19

All sorts of criminals.

 

00:09:42:22 00:09:49:24 07:02

Pirates, terrorists, murderers...

 

00:09:50:02 00:09:55:07 05:05

...and various other kinds of riff-raff.

 

00:09:55:10 00:09:59:07 03:22

Come on, why won't you say anything?

 

00:09:59:10 00:10:03:18 04:08

There they are.

 

00:10:06:07 00:10:08:24 02:17

Come here and talk to us.

Why not?

 

00:10:11:09 00:10:15:24 04:15

Get over here. Look, there's some pirates.

 

00:10:22:20 00:10:25:05 02:10

I'm not a pirate myself. He knows that.

 

00:10:25:08 00:10:27:23 02:15

But I do support them.

 

00:10:43:23 00:10:46:22 02:24

We went to sea simply because we were hungry.

 

00:10:47:00 00:10:50:24 03:24

You want to survive,

you have to do something.

 

00:10:51:02 00:10:54:24 03:22

You start looking for money

and that means:

 

00:10:55:02 00:11:01:01 05:24

Foreigners with a white skin.

So people like you.

 

Eventually we get to talk to Abshir Boyah, the pirate Godfather. Since he took up piracy in the mid-1990s, he has been involved in over 25 hijacks.

 

00:11:15:04 00:11:17:10 02:06

Things developed one step at a time.

 

00:11:17:13 00:11:24:09 06:21

We started out with one boat with a very poor engine.

 

00:11:24:12 00:11:27:11 02:24

Then we got some money and bought a second boat.

 

00:11:27:14 00:11:32:13 04:24

That's how we grew bigger and bigger over time.

 

00:11:32:16 00:11:35:21 03:05

And that's how we became pirates.

 

00:11:35:24 00:11:40:14 04:15

There were only 10 of us in the first year.

Then 20 in the next...

 

00:11:40:17 00:11:46:04 05:12

...then 30, 50 and so on.

Now many people are involved in piracy.

 

Does Boyah think the great number of foreign naval vessels in Somali waters will deter the pirates?

 

00:11:53:17 00:11:55:05 01:13

We're not afraid of the naval vessels.

 

00:11:55:08 00:11:58:04 02:21

Even when they shoot we go aboard.

 

00:11:58:07 00:12:00:12 02:05

We're afraid of only one thing.

 

00:12:00:15 00:12:04:08 03:18

Something much worse

than cannons and bullets: hunger.

 

00:12:04:11 00:12:08:00 03:14

Bring on your planes,

ships and submarines.

 

00:12:08:03 00:12:10:15 02:12

We're not afraid of you.

 

00:12:10:18 00:12:14:01 03:08

If we were afraid

we would have stopped ages ago.

 

00:12:14:04 00:12:17:13 03:09

All those ships won't solve anything.

 

Out at sea, however, the international war fleet has in fact had a few successes. The crew of a hijacked ship locked itself into an armour-plated room until the Dutch navy rescued them from the pirates.

 

00:12:28:24 00:12:30:13 01:14

I got him. I got him.

 

No matter how successful though, the question is: Is it sufficient?

 

00:12:38:12 00:12:44:19 06:07

Listen to this.

The chief wants to tell you something.

 

00:12:44:22 00:12:48:02 03:05

What are they planning?

- Nothing, really.

 

Our search for active pirates does not go unnoticed. The leader of the guards is informed by the intelligence service that a different group of pirates is showing a rather pointed interest in us.

 

 

00:12:57:24 00:12:59:14 01:15

We must be very cautious.

 

00:12:59:17 00:13:03:17 04:00

And really be extra careful

outside the compound.

 

00:13:03:20 00:13:06:22 03:02

So 100% vigilant.

 

00:13:07:00 00:13:10:05 03:05

OK, understood.

 

00:13:10:08 00:13:11:20 01:12

Straight on.

 

00:13:13:07 00:13:15:20 02:13

Up there on the right. I see it.

 

Awaiting further developments in a possible interview with a pirate, we return to the coast to talk to a businessman who has fishing boats built for his tuna factory in the north of Puntland.

 

Ahmed Omar is mainly worried about the devastating influence on Somali society of the astronomic ransom sums.

 

Ahmed himself has a lot of trouble finding employees. The salary he offers is beneath them.

 

Back in the compound we finally receive some good news. We may be able to talk to a pirate still on active duty.

 

00:15:05:12 00:15:07:06 01:19

Are you on your way?

 

00:15:08:16 00:15:10:16 02:00

So did you bring that guy this time?

 

00:15:13:06 00:15:19:21 06:15

OK, just go straight to the place.

 

00:15:19:24 00:15:23:21 03:22

They're going there now

and they're bringing a pirate.

 

The pirate is on his way. Meanwhile we are granted an interview with the Security Minister. One of the reasons why Puntland is given hardly any assistance is the region’s alleged ties with the rich pirates.

 

00:15:40:03 00:15:44:10 04:07

In that prison

you saw with your own eyes...

 

00:15:44:13 00:15:46:21 02:08

...how many pirates are held there.

 

00:15:46:24 00:15:48:12 01:13

We do what we can.

 

00:15:48:15 00:15:53:11 04:21

But we need help if we really

want to crack down on them.

 

00:15:53:14 00:16:00:07 06:18

We need the support of the Netherlands

and other countries.

 

00:16:00:10 00:16:03:19 03:09

Come on, help us, let's collaborate...

 

00:16:03:22 00:16:08:09 04:12

...and wipe out those pirates

on the coast.

 

When we return to the compound, the pirate has arrived. He is 28 and one of the hijackers of the Turkish tanker Karagol, among other ships. He will only talk on camera as long as he’s unrecognisable, for fear of the authorities.

 

00:16:27:18 00:16:35:23 08:05

We climbed aboard that tanker

from behind, on the side of the ship.

 

00:16:36:01 00:16:41:05 05:04

We use a special kind of ladder

to get onto ships.

 

00:16:41:08 00:16:44:20 03:12

One pirate goes first.

He carries a rifle or a gun.

 

00:16:44:23 00:16:46:10 01:12

A gun is better.

 

00:16:46:13 00:16:54:05 07:17

Then two others follow him.

 

00:16:54:08 00:17:00:03 05:20

Once they are on board,

they fire their guns in the air.

 

00:17:00:06 00:17:05:08 05:02

Then you look for the captain.

The crew is not important.

 

00:17:05:11 00:17:14:08 08:22

Once you have the captain,

you have the whole ship.

 

All in all the whole operation took relatively little time.

 

00:17:21:11 00:17:24:18 03:07

Everything went off very well, actually.

 

00:17:24:21 00:17:27:05 02:09

It took us seven days to find a ship.

 

00:17:27:08 00:17:29:22 02:14

On day 8 we hijacked it.

 

00:17:30:00 00:17:35:18 05:18

After two months of negotiations

we received the ransom money.

 

00:17:35:21 00:17:38:11 02:15

And then we let the crew go.

 

00:17:38:14 00:17:44:10 05:21

How much did they pay?

- How much did you get for the ship?

 

00:17:44:13 00:17:46:16 02:03

Six million dollars.

 

00:17:46:19 00:17:51:14 04:20

There's a huge fleet out there now.

Will that deter pirates like him?

 

00:17:51:17 00:17:55:15 03:23

Of course we're a little scared,

but not very much.

 

00:17:55:18 00:17:58:10 02:17

These vessels are enormous...

 

00:17:58:13 00:18:02:11 03:23

...and we have various ways

to steer clear of them.

 

00:18:02:14 00:18:08:05 05:16

We have small, manoeuvrable boats, we

can get away fast and we know the area.

 

00:18:08:08 00:18:10:20 02:12

We know how to hide.

 

00:18:10:23 00:18:15:00 04:02

We know a lot of tricks

to avoid these naval vessels.

 

Just before we leave Somalia there is a phone call from the presidential palace. The vice-president wants to talk to us urgently about an important message from the Puntland authorities. He wants to appeal to the international community to help combat the hijackers in Puntland itself too.

 

00:18:50:21 00:18:57:01 06:05

The focal point of this fight

should be on the coast.

 

00:18:57:04 00:19:01:23 04:19

Obviously we need support

from the sea as well...

 

00:19:02:01 00:19:05:01 03:00

...but the coast is of vital importance.

 

00:19:05:04 00:19:08:19 03:15

Pirates come from inland,

not from the sea.

 

00:19:08:22 00:19:11:00 02:03

That's why it is crucially important...

 

00:19:11:03 00:19:14:16 03:13

...for the world

and the international community...

 

00:19:14:19 00:19:19:18 04:24

...to finally listen to us

and collaborate with us.

 

If the alleged ties between the pirates and the government do exist, the support of the international community might actually backfire.

 

00:19:27:13 00:19:31:13 04:00

We promise, hand on heart...

 

00:19:31:16 00:19:37:02 05:11

...that any aid from the Netherlands

will not fall into the hands of the pirates.

 

00:19:37:05 00:19:39:13 02:08

We are opposed to these pirates.

 

00:19:39:16 00:19:43:07 03:16

But if you're not sure, just come with us...

 

00:19:43:10 00:19:45:07 01:22

...and see for yourself what we do with it.

 

Finally the Godfather of the hijackers sends word from prison: if you’re going to negotiate anyway, don’t forget the pirates themselves.

 

00:19:59:05 00:20:04:07 05:02

How it can be solved?

Pirates are just like a government.

 

00:20:04:10 00:20:09:24 05:14

They have a cabinet, they have leaders,

they have soldiers.

 

00:20:10:02 00:20:13:20 03:18

The only option is to work together

with them.

 

00:20:13:23 00:20:17:11 03:13

The problem will be solved

within six months.

 

00:20:17:14 00:20:20:20 03:06