Somalia: International Efforts Boosted to Tackle Piracy
By Staff Writer
Mogadishu – UK Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt on Monday January 21 set out how the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s maritime security programme funds will be spent this financial year, during a speech at the UK Chamber of Shipping with efforts to tackle piracy.
The UK Government says it is committed to continuing the fight against piracy and maritime insecurity wherever it occurs. Last year saw a dramatic decline in the number of pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia, a fragile success that the UK was instrumental in achieving. It is said that the Monday’s announcement of funding will help the UK build on that success.
The new package of support for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, with whom the UK government is working in close partnership to deliver capacity building assistance, is said to be worth £2.25m and includes: $1.135m of additional funding to the UNODC’s Post Trial Transfer Programme, to complete the construction of a new prison in Garowe, Puntland, to hold convicted pirates in facilities that meet international standards. Prison capacity remains one of the biggest challenges we face in bringing pirates to justice and it is essential that we provide a targeted, long term solution.
A $100,000 project is set to tackle corruption in the Somali penal system. As UNODC continue the process of transferring pirates back to Somalia, we face the risk that convicted pirates may seek to secure early release by the paying bribes to prison staff. The project will extend existing anti-corruption awareness training from Garowe prison to all the prisons in Somalia holding piracy prisoners.
Speaking at the UK Chamber of Shipping Foreign Office Minister Mr Burt said, “Last year saw a dramatic decline in pirate attacks off the coast of Somalia – to just 35, with the number of ships seized falling by over 80 percent compared to the previous year. This has not occurred by chance. It is the culmination of years of hard work from governments, international organisations and industry”.
He said that the progress is fragile and reversible. 108 hostages remain in pirate hands, often subjected to terrible conditions with no knowledge of when, or even if, they will be released. So we must stay the course; take the opportunity to press home our advantage and make the waters off the coast of Somalia safe once again.”
Mr Burt assured their commitment to continue working with their partners in the industry and internationally to continue driving down piracy.
Piracy and maritime security are global issues. In today’s networked world, instability and disruption of trade in one area is not isolated to a particular country or region, but affects us all. Similarly, the increasing incidence of piracy and maritime crime off Africa’s western seaboard illustrates that, wherever in the world pockets of insecurity exist, criminal elements will seek to exploit it for financial gain.