Kenya joins global fight against piracy
Kenya has joined in the fight against maritime crimes on the international front.
The East African country has been selected as the second African country to join the United States and the European Union (EU) to tackle increasing militant groups in the high seas. Seychelles is the first.
The EU Naval Force (EU Navfor) announced that Kenya will assist Seychelles in prosecuting maritime crime suspects in the face of disruption of maritime trade in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthis and the resurgence of piracy in Somalia.
According to EU Ambassador to Kenya Henriette Geiger, the EU Navfor will extend its presence in different areas to curb other related crimes including human trafficking.
“EU Navfor Somalia managed to suppress piracy in its previous years but with the current operation Atalanta, the forces will work with different governments to address emerging piracy and the illegal group at Suez Canal,” the Ambassador was quoted as saying.
EU Navfor’s Operation Atlanta handed over six suspected pirates to Seychelles authorities on May 14 for investigations. The suspects were allegedly from Somalia and were involved in the piracy attack to the Marshall Islands-flagged Merchant Vessel Chrystal Arctic on the May 10.
Operation Atalanta has legal agreements with Seychelles, which allows for the trial of suspected pirates arrested, The East African reports.
