MOGADISHU (AFP) –
Somali gunmen fired mortars on Monday at a US lawmaker who was on a mission to tackle the country’s rampant piracy, hours after the dramatic end to an American skipper’s maritime hostage ordeal.
Donald Payne, a congressman from New Jersey and a member of the foreign affairs committee, escaped unhurt from the attack at Mogadishu airport which further underlined the anarchy pervading the troubled Horn of Africa nation.
US President Barack Obama meanwhile issued a fresh call on the international community to confront sea pirates and vowed to hold those who prey on shipping accountable for their “crimes.”
Payne’s visit came the day after US forces shot dead three of four Somali pirates who had been holding Captain Richard Phillips, skipper of the Maersk Alabama cargo ship, hostage for five days in the Indian Ocean.
A Somali pirate chief threatened to target Americans in revenge for Phillips’ rescue, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the mortar attack at the airport.
“The plane of the congressman was leaving and the mortars started falling,” said an African Union official who witnessed the shelling.
“There were no casualties, but the attack was aimed at the congressman. He flew out safely,” the official told AFP.
Payne had earlier held talks with President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed over the wave of pirate attacks launched from Somalia, which have increased in recent days, despite the presence of an international task force in the Gulf of Aden.
At a press conference before he departed for the airport, Payne had called for broader efforts against piracy and defended the deadly operation to free Phillips.
“I think that any country, any company has the right to protect itself and to protect employees and citizens. The action of the United States was not inappropriate but the piracy was inappropriate,” he said.
“Illegal activities must be dealt with. If you don’t deal with criminal behaviour then they will continue.”
Speaking in Washington, Obama also vowed that the US would confront any other pirates who tried to carry out similar attacks.
“We are going to have to continue to work with our partners to prevent future attacks,” he said during a visit to the US Department of Transportation.
“We have to continue to be prepared to confront them when they arise and we have to ensure that those who commit acts of piracy are held accountable for their crimes.”
However the head of the pirate group that had been holding Phillips aboard a lifeboat since last Wednesday accused the Americans of launching their rescue bid after an agreement had been reached for his release.
“The American liars have killed our friends after they agreed to free the hostage without ransom… this matter will lead to retaliation and we will hunt down particularly American citizens travelling our waters,” Abdi Garad said by phone from the pirate lair of Eyl.
“We will intensify our attacks even reaching very far away from Somalia waters, and next time we get American citizens… they (should) expect no mercy from us.”
Navy snipers hidden in the stern of the USS Bainbridge, one of two warships that rushed to the scene, shot and killed the pirates, said Vice Admiral Bill Gortney, commander of US naval forces in the region.
The pirates “were pointing the AK-47s at the captain,” who was tied up, Gortney said, adding that President Barack Obama had given orders to “take decisive action” if Phillips was at risk.
The snipers fired when they had one of the pirates in their sights “and two pirates with their head and shoulders exposed,” Gortney said.
A Somali government spokesman hailed the operation.
“I hope this operation will be a lesson for other pirates holding the hostages on the ships they hijacked,” Abdulkadir Walayo told AFP.
