An armed Somali pirate keeping vigil on the coastline near Hobyo,
northeastern Somalia on January 4, 2012. PHOTO | MOHAMED DAHIR | FILE
AFP
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Kenya and other regional countries have been given a renewed
mandate for prosecution and prevention of piracy off the coast of
Somalia.
A resolution passed on Monday by the United
Nations Security Council allows countries such as Kenya, the Seychelles,
Tanzania and Mauritius to continue prosecuting pirates as the
international community helps Somalia to establish special courts meant
for trying persons accused of piracy.
In
the resolution, the security council unanimously agreed that piracy on
the coast of Somalia constituted a threat to international peace and
security in the region, and called on states and regional organisations
to fight sea crimes by deploying naval vessels and military aircraft and
by prosecuting suspects and blocking laundering of piracy money.
The resolution praised Kenya, Mauritius, Seychelles and Tanzania for their efforts to prosecute suspected pirates.
Kenya
is expected to benefit from a European Union training programme on
maritime security, with Somalia, Djibouti, Seychelles and Tanzania.
Kenya has been trying piracy suspects since 2006.