April 2021 marks 11 years since the Captain Phillips hijacking.

Never forget the story of Abdiweli Abdulkadir. He was just 16 and vilified in the press as a pirate. His only crime was taking up arms and defending his seas from Foreign vessels and trawlers looting Somali waters.

Abdiweli was arrested on the 12th of April 2009 after hijacking a US flagged ship off the Somali coast. He was soon extradited & sentenced to 33 years in US federal prison at the age of 16.

Once again - His only crime was defending his seas from Foreign vessels that came to loot

When Abdiweli was arrested in 2009, his face was plastered on television like he was some sort of big criminal when in reality he was just a 16 year old kid from the Somali coast that was forced to take up arms after his livelihood was destroyed due to illegal Foreign fishing.

Thousands of more Somali youth, mainly Ex Fishermen are currently incarcerated in prisons throughout Africa, the EU, Middle East and Southeast Asia on piracy charges after taking up arms to defend there livelihoods from Foreign trawlers looting Somali territorial waters.