By Frank Kimboy, Citizen Reporter
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
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Dar es Salaam. About 92 pirates have been arrested since 2008 when European Union Naval (EUNAVFOR) began its operations in the Indian Ocean.Speaking to reporters in Dar es Salaam port where one of its naval ship known as Galicia has docked, EUNAVFOR chief commander Mr Philipe Coindreau, said among them, 25 have been sentenced to five years imprisonment while the trial for the remaining 67 pirates were going on.
Mr Coindreau, who was accompanied by the France ambassador to Tanzania, Mr Jacques Champagne de Labriolle and European Union head of delegations ambassador Mr Timothy Clarke, added that during that time 17 ships were hijacked while more than 365 people who had been held as hostage were rescued by the force.
Speaking during a conference that was held in the Galicia at the Dar es Salaam port yesterday, ambassador Clarke urged Tanzania authority to make sure that an agreement that will allow the EUNAVFOR to operate in the country is signed so as to tackle the problem which has started to affect Tanzania economy directly.
“We held a meeting with the Tanzania deputy Attorney General today (yesterday) and we are expecting to hold a meeting with the Attorney General tomorrow (Today) so that we can develop a common ground from which our forces will be allowed to patrol Tanzania waters…I urge them to make sure that we will reach an agreement soon enough,” Mr Clarke said.
For his part, Mr Labriolle called for restoration of rule of law in Somalia as a means of ending the piracy in the Gulf of Eden. He said although the international community has joined forces in fighting piracy restoring a rule of law in Somali remains a permanent solution to the problem.
He also called for other country to amend their laws so that the pirates could be prosecuted in their countries. Currently the France navy is in charge of the EUNAVFOR operations in the Indian Ocean.
Source: The Citizen