Somali Pirates: Anti-piracy operations coordinated between Seychelles and US

November 9, 3:31 PMLaw Enforcement ExaminerJim Kouri

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The African nation of Seychelles and the United States of America have stressed their commitment to the coordinated effort in combating Somali piracy in the western Indian Ocean.

This follows the arrival of several US military MQ-9 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAV) aircraft in Seychelles, that will be used for a joint anti-piracy surveillance program, at the request of the Government of Seychelles. This landmark cooperation follows the signing of a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) in July 2009 with the USA.

The US military invited journalists and members of the High Level Committee on Piracy to view the UAVs on Friday, November 6, during a press event.

The Head of the High Level Committee on Piracy, Minister Joel Morgan has said that with the UAV's capabilities, there is yet another clear message being sent out to the pirates: that no criminal activities will go undetected.

“This UAV program specifically, will be able to help monitor large areas and detect the presence of pirates who operate in small boats which are often difficult to spot. This surveillance activity will complement and reinforce the other military assistance we are already receiving. This cooperation is a concrete example of the commitment of the US to improve maritime safety and security in the Western Indian Ocean. This assistance to the people of Seychelles is very well appreciated, ” said Minister Morgan.

With the progression of acts of piracy from the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa down to the Western Indian Ocean, the Seychelles has become threatened both by the physical acts of taking ships hostage and also by the economic impact of piracy on the maritime sector including merchant shipping, fisheries, cruises and the super yacht industry.

"The War on piracy has to be fought on many fronts; both nationally and internationally, but ultimately, it is the political resolution of the problems in Somalia that will bring about an end to this issue of piracy , which if left unchecked, has the potential to create a serious level of insecurity in the entire Western Indian Ocean," said Morgan.

"Along with the international community and our regional partners, we realize that the problem of piracy is complex and requires a wide range of resources to combat it. This includes diplomacy, military capability, surveillance, information gathering, human and financial resources," he said.

Seychelles has only a limited national capacity to combat the criminal acts of piracy. With over a million square miles of ocean as part of that nation's Exclusive Economic Zone, the challenge that faced is evident.

It is for this reason that President Michel called on the international community to come to his nation's assistance.

"We are pleased to note, that in a relatively short space of time, our calls for assistance have been answered and we have established Seychelles as the hub for anti-piracy surveillance and anti-piracy actions. We strongly believe that the joint efforts with the international forces working with us are key to curbing piracy in our region," said Minister Morgan.