ADDIS ABABA (HAN) November 12, 2015. Public Diplomacy & regional Security. The UN Security Council has passed a resolution authorizing regional states to establish jurisdiction in trying pirates caught off the Somali coast.
This means Kenya, Seychelles and other neighbors of Somalia should find ways to prosecute pirates even if suspects are arrested in Somali waters. The decision calls for special courts or joint regional tribunals to handle Somali piracy cases, besides calling for international support for Somali justice and security systems.
Meanwhile, a lull in piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia has stretched into a third year, bringing relief to consumers and shippers previously hit by the high costs of responding to the threat.
The last successful hijacking was in May 2012; and the International Maritime Bureau says no piracy attack have been reported on key routes this year.
It said this “positive development reflects the combined efforts of navies in the region, along with greater compliance with the Best Management Practices guidelines against Somali piracy, the employment of private security contractors and a stabilizing government.”
Military incursions on and off-shore Somalia has also helped end piracy attacks on key shipping routes around the Gulf of Aden. The IMB, however, urged vessels to maintain vigilance, saying that the situation ashore remained fragile and the threat of piracy not eliminated. Suspected Somali pirates continue to hold 29 crew members for ransom. MFA
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