High Seas, High Stakes

The joint military exercises and cooperation with the broader anti-piracy movements in the region are a clear indication of the Sultanate’s commitment and ability to deal with this regional security concern

Today the southern port city of Salalah is a safe, bustling metropolis where you can conduct modern business and, on a day off, wander through traditional souqs or enjoy miles of pristine beaches. However, this pleasant present belies a romantic history: hundreds of years ago, Salalah was a shelter for pirates and brigands, then an increasingly important stop on the ‘incense road,’ an ancient trade route.

Those in the shipping business might be forgiven for taking a dim view of tour guides who promote Oman’s romantic pirate past. And Oman, which might have thought it had left its pirate days behind, has recently learned the hard way that it is not immune to this problem.

DARING PIRATES
Things began to heat up this June 2009, when the cargo ship MV Charelle was hijacked just 12 kilometres from Oman’s territorial waters. It was held for more than five months off the coast of Somalia before it was released for an undisclosed ransom on December 3. It seems that the pirates that have long bedevilled the western Gulf of Aden – the body of water between Somalia and Yemen – are fishing further afield. Attacks have been reported as far east as Sur, just less than 200 kms from Muscat, at the entrance of the Strait of Hormuz.

This was not the first modern pirate menace near Omani waters, but it was the first successful one. In December 2008, three small skiffs fired rockets at a US cruise ship with more than 1,000 people on board. The ship was able to accelerate out of the pirate’s range and arrived safely in Salalah the next morning.

MARITIME SECURITY
Oman’s stability, prosperity, and developed transport hubs have made it an attractive location for foreign investment over the last few years. With characteristic prudence, the Sultanate has been investing in diversification away from a hydrocarbon-based economy – a strategy which has resulted in solid transport networks, industrial development, and a much-lauded tourism infrastructure.

Further, Oman maintains good relations with its neighbours, both fellow GCC countries and the potentially more troublesome Yemen and Iran. But any investor interested in setting up a business in Oman, especially one involving sea freighting, will be looking to the steps the Sultanate is taking to ensure maritime security. Back in June, the MV Charelle’s distress signal was missed by the Portuguese naval forces dispatched for anti-piracy duties in the area. The Omani authorities responded immediately, but the vessel was already in pirate hands.

Since then, the Sultanate has been working to build capacity to ensure that the security forces can respond as effectively as possible to threats of this nature. The Sultanate has increased cooperation with the EU Naval Force, which has been conducting a military operation, code-named ‘Operation Atalanta’, to combat piracy in the region since December 2008.

PARTNERSHIPS
Oman has provided berthing and medical facilities for the force, which is made up of ships provided by EU member states, NATO, and a US-led coalition. It appears to have benefited from having a regional partner: the last successful hijacking in the EU Naval Force’s patrolled waters took place in July 2009.
In light of the security crackdown, pirates are moving further east, where they continue to pose a threat to Oman’s shipping lanes. In recognition of this shift, Oman’s navy and India’s air force agreed to engage in a series of war games designed to improve the forces’ ability to combat ‘sea terrorism’ this October.

“The environment is changing rapidly in terms of terrorism and piracy,” the Indian Air Force (IAF) vice-chief Air Marshal PK Barbosa said in a statement to the l0cal press when the joint exercises were announced. “If the swathe (of piracy) widens, air forces may be called upon to help the navies of different countries already patrolling the Gulf of Aden. If directed to do so, we are prepared,” he said.

The joint exercises concluded in early December, and proved their efficacy within days: on December 7, the IAF dispatched a helicopter in response to a distress call from a Norwegian tanker in the Gulf of Aden. The pirates fled when the IAF fired warning shots. On December 20, a similar mission dispatched a skiff that had been pursuing the Cayman Island-flagged MV Sodlering Ace.

ARAB NAVAL FORCE
The GCC agreed in October 2009 to establish an Arab Naval Force, tasked with keeping the Red Sea, the Arabian Gulf, and the Gulf of Aden free of pirates. It aims to cooperate with other international anti-piracy efforts, especially the EU Naval Force, by establishing a joint command for one year, hopefully with no need for extension.

Oman took the bilateral relations one-step further by planning joint rescue and relief operations with Iran, which is eager to keep the Strait of Hormuz clear. Nearly a third of the world’s oil – and a very far from insignificant portion of Iran’s export revenue – passes through the Strait. Oman’s ability to maintain close security ties to its unpredictable eastern neighbour is a valuable asset in the quest for regional stability. Despite the strides made by Oman and its international partners, it is difficult to guarantee military protection for the estimated 20,000 commercial ships that pass through the Gulf of Aden and Oman’s territorial waters every year. To that end, Oman has encouraged ships to beef up their anti-pirate defences, using techniques like barbed wire, water cannons,
and flares.

Sonar defences – extremely loud bullhorns that can incapacitate pursuers – are another popular deterrent, and have been installed on many cruise ships. In a more 21st-century move, the Sultanate has aided the EU Naval Force in the development of an internet-based communication system that alerts ships to threats in their area. Ships can also register to travel in convoys with military escort.

In early December, armed pirates were reported to have attempted to board the merchant ship BBC Togo, but found it hard going when they discovered the stairwells of the ship were cordoned off with barbed wire. The pirates fled to a nearby fishing dhow, just a hundred miles off the coast of Oman, where they were captured on December 2, 2009, by the Dutch navy. Within days, reports of another failed attack emerged, this time on a Greek ship in the Arabian Sea southeast of Oman.

Oman’s anti-piracy measures are increasingly effective, but it is easy to see that the problem is significant. Much of Oman’s success as a trading hub for the region – particularly in transhipment – has been based on its strategic position. It is understandable – not to mention reassuring for investors – that the government has taken such a proactive stance on piracy.

THE SWASHBUCKLING ANTICS OF JONNY DEPP AND HIS BRETHREN ARE AMUSING IN THE MOVIES, BUT MODERN-DAY PIRACY IS A COSTLY PROBLEM FOR SHIPPERS WORLDWIDE

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