Taken Question
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
October 2, 2008
Daily Press Briefing - October 2
Somali Piracy (Taken Question)Question: Has the Somali foreign ministry granted the United States, or any other country, permission to use force against pirates operating in Somali sovereign waters?
Answer: The Somali Government has repeatedly asked for assistance combating piracy in Somali territorial waters.
On February 27, 2008, the Permanent Representative of the Somali Republic to the United Nations (UN) wrote to the UN Security Council conveying the consent of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia (TFG) for urgent assistance in securing the territorial and international waters off the coast of Somalia for the safe conduct of shipping and navigation.
On June 2, 2008, the UN Security Council passed a Chapter VII resolution, Resolution 1816, authorizing States cooperating with the TFG to use all necessary means to repress acts of piracy and armed robbery within the territorial waters of Somalia, provided that the cooperating States notify the UN Secretary General in advance.
On September 1, 2008, the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia wrote to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to notify him pursuant to Resolution 1816 that Canada, Denmark, France, Spain and the United States are cooperating with the TFG in the fight against piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia.
On September 26, during the United Nations 63rd General Assembly Session, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Somali Republic Ali Ahmed Jama Jengeli reiterated the TFG’s request to the international community to take resolute action against piracy off the coast of Somalia, consistent with the provisions in Resolution 1816.
2008/824
Released on October 2, 2008
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