Xinhua
Saturday, September 05, 2009
Speaking at a regional maritime forum underway in Mombasa, UN Political Office on Somalia (UNOPS) Military Advisor Col. Victor Gamor said the war against piracy off Somali waters will not be won unless more emphasis is laid on containing pirates on land before they get to the sea.
He said the high amounts of firearms being shipped to the country have continued to fan piracy despite an international campaign to eradicate the vice.
The colonel, who was making his presentation during the workshop organized by the Ports Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA), said there were 5,100 foreign troops in Somalia against a requirement of 8,000.
He said that most worrying aspect of piracy is that arms from several countries were being supplied to the militias while pirates were acquiring more sophisticated equipment and the huge sums of money paid as ransom.
"The international community should put more emphasis on addressing the root cause of piracy and a comprehensive strategy adopted in seeking to stabilize the security situation in the country," he said.
His comments come in the wake of more ships being targeted and captured by Somali pirates despite the presence of international war ships in the Gulf of Aden, although piracy attacks have lessened over the past four months, he noted.
Southern African Development Community (SADC) secretariat Mapolao Mokoena said since piracy is a global problem that affects businesses, all countries should unite and deal with the menace.
"Reinforcing maritime security is best achieved by combining public and private maritime security activities on a global scale into an integrated effort that addresses all maritime threats," she said.
PMAESA secretary general Jerome Ntibarekerwa said the organization had developed a program intended to address piracy and potential donors were being sought.
Participants drawn from more than 17 east and southern African countries expressed concern that pirates continued to seize commercial ships, and suggested that possibilities of either arming crew members or providing ships with armed escort should be explored.
Source: Xinhua
Saturday, September 05, 2009
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United Nations on Friday called on for global efforts to curb the rising cases of piracy along the Indian Ocean waters. Speaking at a regional maritime forum underway in Mombasa, UN Political Office on Somalia (UNOPS) Military Advisor Col. Victor Gamor said the war against piracy off Somali waters will not be won unless more emphasis is laid on containing pirates on land before they get to the sea.
He said the high amounts of firearms being shipped to the country have continued to fan piracy despite an international campaign to eradicate the vice.
The colonel, who was making his presentation during the workshop organized by the Ports Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa (PMAESA), said there were 5,100 foreign troops in Somalia against a requirement of 8,000.
He said that most worrying aspect of piracy is that arms from several countries were being supplied to the militias while pirates were acquiring more sophisticated equipment and the huge sums of money paid as ransom.
"The international community should put more emphasis on addressing the root cause of piracy and a comprehensive strategy adopted in seeking to stabilize the security situation in the country," he said.
His comments come in the wake of more ships being targeted and captured by Somali pirates despite the presence of international war ships in the Gulf of Aden, although piracy attacks have lessened over the past four months, he noted.
Southern African Development Community (SADC) secretariat Mapolao Mokoena said since piracy is a global problem that affects businesses, all countries should unite and deal with the menace.
"Reinforcing maritime security is best achieved by combining public and private maritime security activities on a global scale into an integrated effort that addresses all maritime threats," she said.
PMAESA secretary general Jerome Ntibarekerwa said the organization had developed a program intended to address piracy and potential donors were being sought.
Participants drawn from more than 17 east and southern African countries expressed concern that pirates continued to seize commercial ships, and suggested that possibilities of either arming crew members or providing ships with armed escort should be explored.
Source: Xinhua