Hollywood star Samuel L Jackson has recently bought the film rights for the story of a soon to be famous Kenyan named Andrew Mwangura. A former seaman, 47 year old Mwangura runs a non profit organisation called The East African Seafarers Assistance Program and has become a key player in the solving and detection of hijacking cases in the Indian Ocean off Somalia’s eastern coast. When a ship is captured by pirates, Mwangura is called in as a go-between and negotiator between the pirates and the shipowners and crew. Nicknamed "The Pirate Whisperer" a Hollywood movie is to be made to share his story with the world.
Mwangura believes the "piracy" on these waters has gone on for years with many foreign vessels taking advantage of Somalia’s chaotic and lawless waters. Ships, many flying under flags of convenience, are engaged in illegal dumping of toxic and chemical waste, industrial scale fishing without licence and smuggling of arms, drugs and illegally mined resources. Last year, a Ukrainian registered vessel was hijacked; on board were 33 Soviet-era tanks destined for Southern Sudan. Paperwork claimed they were for the Kenyan military. a fearless Mwangura reported the case and was quickly arrested by the Kenyan Government, who held him for 9 days without charge.
More than 22,000 ships navigate through the gulf of Aden each year making it one of the worlds busiest routes. This means it is almost impossible to police. As a coalition of naval vessels from several countries try to keep the shipping lanes up and running, the pirates have gotten more daring and acquired bigger and faster boats.
They now venture more than 1000km from their bases on the Somalian coast. Mwangura is the one brave man dedicates his time to negotiating the release of the innocent sailors caught up in the power play between corrupt shipping companies, bent government officials and "pirates" who justify their action by the corrupt practices that have plagued this coast for over a decade. Mwangura says he has never had the pleasure of seeing a Samuel L Jackson movie but hopes the film will raise awareness of the "forgotten people"- the seafarers who keep the ocean trade alive.
