The lawlessness and piracy in Somalia are symptoms of a bigger political problem, the department of foreign affairs said on Thursday.

Briefing the media in Pretoria deputy head of multi-lateral affairs Xolisa Mabhongo said South Africa strongly condemned the acts.

"We think that these acts of piracy not only threaten international trade but also contribute to the deterioration of the security situation around Somalia."

He said the country was urging the United Nations Security Council --which is currently meeting in the United States -- to intervene and that all efforts should be focused on addressing the political situation.

"We believe that lawlessness and the piracy are mere symptoms, so we cannot only focus our efforts on addressing those.
"We also need to deal with the root causes in Somalia, which are mainly political.

In finding a solution, he said all parties in Somalia needed to show their commitment to the agreed frameworks for the resolution of the problem.

In the long term, Mabhongo said the aim to stabilise the country would be the establishment of a "proper" UN peacekeeping force. He said steps had already been made in putting this in place.