Call to clarify laws over shooting Somali pirates

The Foreign Affairs Select Committee welcomed moves by the Government last year to allow armed private guards on British vessels sailing off the Somali coast. But a report to be published today said guidance on the use of “lethal force” is very limited.

The committee of MPs also concluded that the solutions to combating Somali pirates lie on land, with a need for better support for Somalian civil society organisations and local projects. And in response to criticism from former captives Paul and Rachel Chandler about the Foreign Office’s support for their family during their 13 month captivity, the committee said the Government should review its procedures when Britons are kidnapped abroad.

Committee chairman Richard Ottaway said: “It is unacceptable that 2.6 million square miles of the Indian Ocean is a no-go area for small vessels, and a dangerous one for commercial shipping. There is a clear need for action.

“The Government was right to permit private armed guards to defend British flagged shipping against Somali pirates, but its guidance on the legal use of force lacks critical detail.

“The question is that if a private armed guard on board a UK flagged vessel sees an armed skiff approaching at high speed, can the guard open fire?

“The Government must provide clearer direction on what is permissible and what is not.”