Dylan Bettencourt
Mancane amathuba okuthi imikhumbi ethwala impahla ezungeza e-Afrika ibe senkingeni nabaphangi base-Somali, kusho abemikhumbi ethutha impahla emhlabeni wonke.
I-International Maritime Organisation idalule ukuthi i-Indian Ocean ngeke isabhekwa njengengozi enkulu kusukela ngonyaka ozayo njengoba kungekho kuhlaselwa kwemikhumbi yabahwebi ebikiwe e-Somalia kusukela ngo-2018.
“Lesi simemezelo siwubufakazi beminyaka ecishe engu-15 yokusebenzisana ngokuzinikela ukuze kwehliswe ubungozi bokugetshengwa kwemikhumbi e-Indian Ocean,” kusho isitatimende, ngokwephephandaba i-The Times.
“Ngokuhlanganiswa kwemizamo yamasosha, ezombusazwe, umphakathi kanye nemboni yezokuthutha, abashayeli bemikhumbi nabasolwandle sebeyakwazi ukusebenza ngokuzethemba okukhulu olwandle.”
Abaphangi base-Somalia abebehloma ngama-AK-47 babegcwela olwandle ngasogwini lwezwe phakathi kwango-2008 nango-2012.
Kulokho okwaziwa njengelinye lamacala elihamba phambili, ukudunwa kwe-Maersk Alabama ngo-2009 eyahlengwa uMbutho waMasosha asoLwandle aseMelika kwenziwa ngakho ifilimu yase-Hollywood enesihloko esithi-Captain Phillips.
Ngesikhathi udlame ludlangile ngo-2011 kwaba nokuhlaselwa okulinganiselwa kokungu-160 ogwini lwase-Somalia.
Ochwepheshe bezimboni bathi uhlelo lokulwa nokudunwa kwempahla olwenziwa i-European Union ne-Combined Maritime Forces yamazwe angu-34 ahlukene lwaqeda ukuhlasela.
Imikhumbi yayiphelezelwa ukudlula e-Somalia ngemikhumbi yasolwandle enonogada abahlomile.
Abaphangi base-Somalia baphendukela kwezinye izinhlobo zobugebengu njengokushushumbisa izikhali kanye nokushushumbiswa kwabantu bengena bephuma e-Yemen.
Njengoba umhlaba wawuzibona usukhululekile kubaphangi base-Somalia, i-Gulf of Guinea yaba umzila wemikhumbi oyingozi kakhulu.
Ebugebengwini basolwandle obungu-135 ngo-2020, okungu-130 kwalokhu kwenzeka olwandle emazweni angu-17 ase-Afrika okuhlanganisa i-Nigeria ne-Angola.
Ungoti wezokuphepha olwandle uFernando Ibanez uthe kukhokhwe imali engu-R4.2 million yokuhlenga abasebenzi e-Gulf of Guinea.
“Emazweni lapho iningi labantu eliphila khona ngemali engaphansi kwedola elilodwa ngosuku, ubugebengu obunjengokuphanga nokuthumba buba namandla kakhulu,” etshela i-Times.
Umthombo wesithombe: @Wired