FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
April 08, 2015
Notice -- Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Somalia
NOTICE
- - - - - - -
CONTINUATION OF THE NATIONAL EMERGENCY WITH
RESPECT TO SOMALIA
On April 12, 2010, by Executive Order 13536, I declared a national emergency pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States constituted by the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia, acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, which have repeatedly been the subject of United Nations Security Council resolutions, and violations of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council.
On July 20, 2012, I issued Executive Order 13620 to take additional steps to deal with the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13536 in view of United Nations Security CouncilResolution 2036 of February 22, 2012, and Resolution 2002 of July 29, 2011, and to address: exports of charcoal from Somalia, which generate significant revenue for al-Shabaab; the misappropriation of Somali public assets; and certain acts of violence committed against civilians in Somalia, all of which contribute to the deterioration of the security situation and the persistence of violence in Somalia.
Because the situation with respect to Somalia continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, the national emergency declared on April 12, 2010, and the measures adopted on that date and on July 20, 2012, to deal with that emergency, must continue in effect beyond April 12, 2015. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13536.
This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.
BARACK OBAMA
Showing posts with label PIRACY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PIRACY. Show all posts
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
DEFENSE SECRETARY HAGEL THANKS PORTUGAL FOR SUPPORTING NATO'S BALTIC AIR POLICING
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| U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, center left, meets with Portuguese Defense Minister Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco, center right, at the Pentagon, March 31, 2014. The two leaders met to discuss defense-related topics. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett |
Defense Secretary Welcomes Portuguese Minister to Pentagon
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2014 – Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today welcomed Portuguese Minister of Defense Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco to the Pentagon, and expressed to the minister his appreciation for Portugal’s many contributions to international security, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a Defense Department news release.
The secretary specifically thanked Portugal for supporting NATO’s Baltic Air Policing rotation later this year, and Portugal’s support in combating piracy and maritime crime in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia, Kirby said in the release.
Kirby said Hagel also thanked Aguiar-Branco for Portugal’s hospitality towards U.S. airmen at Lajes Field.
The two leaders “discussed the situation in Ukraine and reaffirmed both nations’ steadfast commitment to our collective defense obligations,” Kirby said.
Both men, he said, agreed on the need for Russia to begin discussions with the Ukrainian government, as diplomacy remains the only acceptable means of resolving this crisis.
“Secretary Hagel looks forward to seeing Minister Aguiar-Branco at the NATO Summit in Wales, this September,” Kirby said in the release.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
"PIRACY OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA: QUARTERLY UPDATE"
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia: Quarterly Update
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
December 24, 2013
The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia was created on January 14, 2009 pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1851. This voluntary ad hoc international forum brings together over 80 countries, organizations, and industry groups with a shared interest in combating piracy. Chaired in 2013 by the United States, the Contact Group coordinates political, military, and non-governmental efforts to tackle piracy off the coast of Somalia, ensure that pirates are brought to justice, and support regional states to develop sustainable maritime security capabilities. The European Union will assume the chairmanship in 2014.
Through its five thematic working groups, the Contact Group draws on a wide range of international expertise and adopts a problem-solving approach to piracy, working closely with Somali officials from the central government and regional administrations and officials in Indian Ocean States. Working Group 1, chaired by the United Kingdom, focuses on operational naval coordination, information sharing, and capacity building; Working Group 2, chaired by Denmark, addresses legal and judicial issues; Working Group 3, chaired by the Republic of Korea, works closely with the shipping industry to enhance awareness and build capabilities among seafarers transiting the region; Working Group 4, chaired by Egypt, aims at raising public awareness of the dangers of piracy; and Working Group 5, chaired by Italy, focuses on disrupting the pirate criminal enterprise ashore, including the illicit financial flows associated with maritime piracy.
This unique international partnership is contributing to a significant decline in piracy off the Horn of Africa. Thanks in part to the Contact Group’s concerted efforts, there has not been a successful pirate attack on a commercial vessel off the Horn of Africa in more than a year and a half, and pirates no longer control a single hijacked vessel.
Recent Developments
• On November 18, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2125, renewing the call for international action to fight piracy off the Coast of Somalia.
• The Contact Group convened November 10-15 for Counter Piracy Week in Djibouti. This first ever extended duration gathering of the CGPCS included meetings of all five working groups, a number of stand-alone thematic discussions, and the 15th Plenary. In all, the event drew 55 delegations totaling approximately 220 participants. Notably, the first ever plenary session in the Horn of Africa included active participation by the Federal Government of Somalia and a number of regional partners in the fight against piracy. Participants agreed that, while significant progress has been made in the last two years, the underlying conditions that allowed piracy to flourish remain. Somalia will continue require significant capacity building assistance to ensure pirate gangs cannot return to peak. The 15th Plenary also marked the handover of the Contact Group chairmanship from the United States to the European Union, which will chair during 2014.
• On October 11, India detained the Sierra Leone-flagged S/V SEAMAN GUARD OHIO and later charged 33 men aboard for failing to produce papers authorizing the carriage of weapons in Indian waters. A U.S. maritime company, Advanfort, operates the ship with a crew that includes British, Estonian, Indian and Ukrainian nationals.
• On November 13, Japan’s parliament enacted a bill to allow security guards to carry rifles aboard Japanese-registered vessels to counter piracy in waters off Somalia and elsewhere. The new law allows armed guards employed by foreign security contractors to fire warning shots at approaching pirates.
• On December 3, France announced it would change its laws to allow private armed guards to protect its shipping fleet against pirates. News reports indicated that although tougher ship security and Western naval patrols have reduced attacks from Somali pirates, French ships are increasingly being targeted in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, where France has trade ties with former colonies.
Apprehensions at Sea
• On October 18, the Combined Task Force (CTF)-151 reported the capture of nine suspected pirates believed responsible for two attacks in the Indian Ocean. The RFA FORT VICTORIA, HMAS MELBOURNE and ROKS WANG GEON from CTF-151 were involved, as well as the European Union flagship HMLMS JOHAN DE WITT and a Seychelles based maritime patrol aircraft. Pirates exchanged gunfire with security personnel aboard a super tanker on October 11 before attacking a Spanish fishing vessel three days later. CTF-151 apprehended the suspects and destroyed two skiffs and associated pirate equipment.
• On November 10, the Danish warship HDMS ESBERN SNARE, part of NATO’s OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD, arrested nine suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean. The warship tracked down a pirate skiff and mother ship (a whaler) overnight after the suspects attacked the MV TORM Kansas, a Danish flagged oil tanker on November 9. A skiff of five armed pirates had approached the tanker, exchanging fire with private security guards on board before breaking off. On November 30, Seychelles agreed to try the suspects, which were then handed over.
Piracy Trials and Prosecution Support
• On November 26, seven Somalis convicted of piracy in Kenya were repatriated to Somalia by the UNODC upon the completion of their sentence. They were flown to Galkayo.
• Also in Kenya, judgment in the piracy case concerning an attack on the vessel ARIA has been delayed until 23 December 2013.
• Forty Somalis held in Maldives have been repatriated to Somalia by UNODC. They were detained on suspicion of engaging in piracy, but were not charged as Maldives has no legislation on the subject. They were held as prohibited immigrants prior to their return to Somalia. UNODC is engaging with Maldives to develop its piracy legislation.
• On November 14, a U.S. District Court Judge passed life sentences on the last two Somali pirates convicted of killing four Americans on a yacht off the Horn of Africa in 2011. The third convicted pirate was sentenced on November 12. All three were given 21 life sentences. Eleven others previously pled guilty and are serving life sentences.
• On November 5, there was a procedural delay in the Mauritius trial of nine suspected Somali pirates. One of the accused demanded the presence of the French officer who arrested him. The court advised the defendant to enter a motion to that effect.
• On October 30, a court in Madrid convicted six Somalis for piracy and sentenced them to between eight and 12 and a half years in jail for attacking a Spanish warship in 2012 off the coast of Somalia. The six were caught following a firefight when they tried to board the SPS PATINO, a Spanish navy supply ship supporting the European Union's OPERATION ATALANTA.
• On October 23, four Somali pirates were sentenced to seven years each in prison on by a Kenyan court that found them guilty of hijacking a fishing dhow in the Indian Ocean in 2010. The men were arrested by Spanish naval forces and handed over to Kenyan authorities.
• On October 18, a French court sentenced three Somali pirates to nine years in prison each for the 2009 hijacking off the Somali coast of a French yacht that led to the death of its skipper. The three pirates had asked for leniency, saying they were forced into piracy by lives of abject poverty. French troops stormed a sailboat in April 2009 and captured the trio during a bid to free the captain, his wife, their three-year-old son and two crew members.
• On November 26, a federal jury in the U.S. State of Virginia acquitted Ali Mohammed Ali of piracy charges in connection with the takeover of a Danish merchant ship, the CEC FUTURE, in the Gulf of Aden in 2008. Ali worked as a translator for both ship owners and pirates as they negotiated terms for release of the ship and crew. The jury deadlocked on two hostage-taking charges against Ali. U.S prosecutors said that they will retry Ali on those two allegations.
• On November 29 in Seychelles, the conviction for piracy of a Somali man was overturned on appeal. The man, who was originally sentenced in December 2010, claimed to be 16 years old at the time of the offences. He is being held in custody due to his immigration status and will be repatriated to Somalia by UNODC at the earliest opportunity.
Related Meetings
• On October 15-16, the United Nations’ Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute hosted the second of a series of workshops for legal experts in Rome on to draft a code of conduct on Rules for the Use of Force by Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel on board merchant ships.
• On November 8 and 9, UNODC conducted a tour for CGPCS Trust Fund donors in Puntland and Somaliland. Representatives from Denmark, DPA, the EU, Germany, UNODC HQ, Norway, the UK and the US were able to visit the projects in Garowe, Berbera and Hargeisa that they have supported through the Trust Fund.
Significant Developments
• On the night of 8 November 2013, Al-Shabaab fighters launched a deadly attack on Bosasso Prison in Puntland, which was substantially rebuilt in previous years by UNODC using money from the CGPCS Trust Fund. The Deputy Commander of the prison and one guard were killed. Prison defense forces fought off the attack and no prisoners escaped.
• The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs told Counter-Piracy Week in Djibouti participants that the Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (Trust Fund) will fund the Hostage Support Programme, administered by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for an additional 18 months.
• The Trust Fund Board of Directors also approved a project submitted by INTERPOL and the International Maritime Bureau which will support debriefing of former hostages held by Somali pirates in support of law enforcement investigations.
• RAPPICC, the Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Centre, changed its name to REFLECS3, the Regional Fusion Law Enforcement Centre for Safety and Security at Sea, to better describe its new three-part mission – combating transnational organized crime; improving maritime shipping information sharing; and coordinating local and regional capacity building programs. Additionally, the Seychelles government agreed to enact legislation to incorporate the Centre as a legal entity. The Steering Group also decided to invite countries from the East African and South Asian regions to join as new members.
• On November 22, the EU/UNODC launched its Programme to Support Maritime Security, known as MASE. The 5 million Euro (approx. 6.8 million USD) MASE programme will address maritime crime in the Indian Ocean including piracy, drugs and arms smuggling, human trafficking, illegal fishing and maritime pollution.
Hostages in Custody
• At least 49 seafarers remain in pirate custody, including:
-- 27 (Taiwanese, Chinese, Cambodian, Filipino, Vietnamese and Indonesian) from the F/V NAHAM 3, Omani-flagged, hijacked March 26, 2012, now aground in Somalia;
-- 11 (7 Bangladeshi, 2 Sri Lankan, 1 Indian, 1 Iranian) from the M/V ALBEDO, Malaysian-flagged, hijacked November 26, 2010, which sank at anchor on July 8, 2013, with a further 4 (Sri Lankans) missing;
-- 4 (Thais) from the M/V PRANTALAY 12, Thailand-flagged, held since April 18, 2010; which was grounded after the anchor chain broke July, 20, 2011; and
-- 7 (Indians) held since September 29, 2010 from M/V ASHPALT VENTURE, Panama-flagged; the ship and other crew were released April 15, 2011.
Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia: Quarterly Update
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
December 24, 2013
The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia was created on January 14, 2009 pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1851. This voluntary ad hoc international forum brings together over 80 countries, organizations, and industry groups with a shared interest in combating piracy. Chaired in 2013 by the United States, the Contact Group coordinates political, military, and non-governmental efforts to tackle piracy off the coast of Somalia, ensure that pirates are brought to justice, and support regional states to develop sustainable maritime security capabilities. The European Union will assume the chairmanship in 2014.
Through its five thematic working groups, the Contact Group draws on a wide range of international expertise and adopts a problem-solving approach to piracy, working closely with Somali officials from the central government and regional administrations and officials in Indian Ocean States. Working Group 1, chaired by the United Kingdom, focuses on operational naval coordination, information sharing, and capacity building; Working Group 2, chaired by Denmark, addresses legal and judicial issues; Working Group 3, chaired by the Republic of Korea, works closely with the shipping industry to enhance awareness and build capabilities among seafarers transiting the region; Working Group 4, chaired by Egypt, aims at raising public awareness of the dangers of piracy; and Working Group 5, chaired by Italy, focuses on disrupting the pirate criminal enterprise ashore, including the illicit financial flows associated with maritime piracy.
This unique international partnership is contributing to a significant decline in piracy off the Horn of Africa. Thanks in part to the Contact Group’s concerted efforts, there has not been a successful pirate attack on a commercial vessel off the Horn of Africa in more than a year and a half, and pirates no longer control a single hijacked vessel.
Recent Developments
• On November 18, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 2125, renewing the call for international action to fight piracy off the Coast of Somalia.
• The Contact Group convened November 10-15 for Counter Piracy Week in Djibouti. This first ever extended duration gathering of the CGPCS included meetings of all five working groups, a number of stand-alone thematic discussions, and the 15th Plenary. In all, the event drew 55 delegations totaling approximately 220 participants. Notably, the first ever plenary session in the Horn of Africa included active participation by the Federal Government of Somalia and a number of regional partners in the fight against piracy. Participants agreed that, while significant progress has been made in the last two years, the underlying conditions that allowed piracy to flourish remain. Somalia will continue require significant capacity building assistance to ensure pirate gangs cannot return to peak. The 15th Plenary also marked the handover of the Contact Group chairmanship from the United States to the European Union, which will chair during 2014.
• On October 11, India detained the Sierra Leone-flagged S/V SEAMAN GUARD OHIO and later charged 33 men aboard for failing to produce papers authorizing the carriage of weapons in Indian waters. A U.S. maritime company, Advanfort, operates the ship with a crew that includes British, Estonian, Indian and Ukrainian nationals.
• On November 13, Japan’s parliament enacted a bill to allow security guards to carry rifles aboard Japanese-registered vessels to counter piracy in waters off Somalia and elsewhere. The new law allows armed guards employed by foreign security contractors to fire warning shots at approaching pirates.
• On December 3, France announced it would change its laws to allow private armed guards to protect its shipping fleet against pirates. News reports indicated that although tougher ship security and Western naval patrols have reduced attacks from Somali pirates, French ships are increasingly being targeted in the Gulf of Guinea off West Africa, where France has trade ties with former colonies.
Apprehensions at Sea
• On October 18, the Combined Task Force (CTF)-151 reported the capture of nine suspected pirates believed responsible for two attacks in the Indian Ocean. The RFA FORT VICTORIA, HMAS MELBOURNE and ROKS WANG GEON from CTF-151 were involved, as well as the European Union flagship HMLMS JOHAN DE WITT and a Seychelles based maritime patrol aircraft. Pirates exchanged gunfire with security personnel aboard a super tanker on October 11 before attacking a Spanish fishing vessel three days later. CTF-151 apprehended the suspects and destroyed two skiffs and associated pirate equipment.
• On November 10, the Danish warship HDMS ESBERN SNARE, part of NATO’s OPERATION OCEAN SHIELD, arrested nine suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean. The warship tracked down a pirate skiff and mother ship (a whaler) overnight after the suspects attacked the MV TORM Kansas, a Danish flagged oil tanker on November 9. A skiff of five armed pirates had approached the tanker, exchanging fire with private security guards on board before breaking off. On November 30, Seychelles agreed to try the suspects, which were then handed over.
Piracy Trials and Prosecution Support
• On November 26, seven Somalis convicted of piracy in Kenya were repatriated to Somalia by the UNODC upon the completion of their sentence. They were flown to Galkayo.
• Also in Kenya, judgment in the piracy case concerning an attack on the vessel ARIA has been delayed until 23 December 2013.
• Forty Somalis held in Maldives have been repatriated to Somalia by UNODC. They were detained on suspicion of engaging in piracy, but were not charged as Maldives has no legislation on the subject. They were held as prohibited immigrants prior to their return to Somalia. UNODC is engaging with Maldives to develop its piracy legislation.
• On November 14, a U.S. District Court Judge passed life sentences on the last two Somali pirates convicted of killing four Americans on a yacht off the Horn of Africa in 2011. The third convicted pirate was sentenced on November 12. All three were given 21 life sentences. Eleven others previously pled guilty and are serving life sentences.
• On November 5, there was a procedural delay in the Mauritius trial of nine suspected Somali pirates. One of the accused demanded the presence of the French officer who arrested him. The court advised the defendant to enter a motion to that effect.
• On October 30, a court in Madrid convicted six Somalis for piracy and sentenced them to between eight and 12 and a half years in jail for attacking a Spanish warship in 2012 off the coast of Somalia. The six were caught following a firefight when they tried to board the SPS PATINO, a Spanish navy supply ship supporting the European Union's OPERATION ATALANTA.
• On October 23, four Somali pirates were sentenced to seven years each in prison on by a Kenyan court that found them guilty of hijacking a fishing dhow in the Indian Ocean in 2010. The men were arrested by Spanish naval forces and handed over to Kenyan authorities.
• On October 18, a French court sentenced three Somali pirates to nine years in prison each for the 2009 hijacking off the Somali coast of a French yacht that led to the death of its skipper. The three pirates had asked for leniency, saying they were forced into piracy by lives of abject poverty. French troops stormed a sailboat in April 2009 and captured the trio during a bid to free the captain, his wife, their three-year-old son and two crew members.
• On November 26, a federal jury in the U.S. State of Virginia acquitted Ali Mohammed Ali of piracy charges in connection with the takeover of a Danish merchant ship, the CEC FUTURE, in the Gulf of Aden in 2008. Ali worked as a translator for both ship owners and pirates as they negotiated terms for release of the ship and crew. The jury deadlocked on two hostage-taking charges against Ali. U.S prosecutors said that they will retry Ali on those two allegations.
• On November 29 in Seychelles, the conviction for piracy of a Somali man was overturned on appeal. The man, who was originally sentenced in December 2010, claimed to be 16 years old at the time of the offences. He is being held in custody due to his immigration status and will be repatriated to Somalia by UNODC at the earliest opportunity.
Related Meetings
• On October 15-16, the United Nations’ Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute hosted the second of a series of workshops for legal experts in Rome on to draft a code of conduct on Rules for the Use of Force by Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel on board merchant ships.
• On November 8 and 9, UNODC conducted a tour for CGPCS Trust Fund donors in Puntland and Somaliland. Representatives from Denmark, DPA, the EU, Germany, UNODC HQ, Norway, the UK and the US were able to visit the projects in Garowe, Berbera and Hargeisa that they have supported through the Trust Fund.
Significant Developments
• On the night of 8 November 2013, Al-Shabaab fighters launched a deadly attack on Bosasso Prison in Puntland, which was substantially rebuilt in previous years by UNODC using money from the CGPCS Trust Fund. The Deputy Commander of the prison and one guard were killed. Prison defense forces fought off the attack and no prisoners escaped.
• The UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs told Counter-Piracy Week in Djibouti participants that the Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (Trust Fund) will fund the Hostage Support Programme, administered by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for an additional 18 months.
• The Trust Fund Board of Directors also approved a project submitted by INTERPOL and the International Maritime Bureau which will support debriefing of former hostages held by Somali pirates in support of law enforcement investigations.
• RAPPICC, the Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Centre, changed its name to REFLECS3, the Regional Fusion Law Enforcement Centre for Safety and Security at Sea, to better describe its new three-part mission – combating transnational organized crime; improving maritime shipping information sharing; and coordinating local and regional capacity building programs. Additionally, the Seychelles government agreed to enact legislation to incorporate the Centre as a legal entity. The Steering Group also decided to invite countries from the East African and South Asian regions to join as new members.
• On November 22, the EU/UNODC launched its Programme to Support Maritime Security, known as MASE. The 5 million Euro (approx. 6.8 million USD) MASE programme will address maritime crime in the Indian Ocean including piracy, drugs and arms smuggling, human trafficking, illegal fishing and maritime pollution.
Hostages in Custody
• At least 49 seafarers remain in pirate custody, including:
-- 27 (Taiwanese, Chinese, Cambodian, Filipino, Vietnamese and Indonesian) from the F/V NAHAM 3, Omani-flagged, hijacked March 26, 2012, now aground in Somalia;
-- 11 (7 Bangladeshi, 2 Sri Lankan, 1 Indian, 1 Iranian) from the M/V ALBEDO, Malaysian-flagged, hijacked November 26, 2010, which sank at anchor on July 8, 2013, with a further 4 (Sri Lankans) missing;
-- 4 (Thais) from the M/V PRANTALAY 12, Thailand-flagged, held since April 18, 2010; which was grounded after the anchor chain broke July, 20, 2011; and
-- 7 (Indians) held since September 29, 2010 from M/V ASHPALT VENTURE, Panama-flagged; the ship and other crew were released April 15, 2011.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
QUARTERLY REPORT ON PIRACY OFF COAST OF SOMALIA
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| Map: Somalia. Credit: CIA World Factbook. |
Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia: Quarterly Update
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
April 17, 2013
The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia was created on January 14, 2009 pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1851. This voluntary, ad hoc international forum brings together over 80 countries, organizations, and industry groups with a shared interest in combating piracy. Chaired by the United States in 2013, the Contact Group continues to coordinate political, military, industry, and non-governmental efforts to bring an end to piracy off the coast of Somalia and to ensure that pirates are brought to justice.
Through its five thematic working groups, the Contact Group draws on international expertise and adopts a problem-solving approach towards addressing piracy, working closely with Somali authorities and regional administrations. Working Group 1, chaired by the United Kingdom, focuses on military and operational coordination, information sharing, and capacity building; Working Group 2, chaired by Denmark, addresses legal and judicial issues; Working Group 3, chaired by the Republic of Korea, works closely with the shipping industry to enhance awareness and build capabilities among seafarers transiting the region; Working Group 4, chaired by Egypt, aims at raising public awareness of the dangers of piracy; and Working Group 5, chaired by Italy, focuses on illicit financial flows associated with piracy as well as disrupting the pirate enterprise ashore.
This unique international partnership is contributing toward a significant decline in successful pirate attacks in the region. There has not been a single successful pirate attack in the region to date in 2013, and 2012 saw a nearly 75 percent decline in successful attacks over 2011.
Recent Developments
Apprehensions at Sea
On February 25, the EU Naval Force frigate HNLMS DE RUYTER transferred nine suspected pirates to authorities in the Republic of Seychelles. The suspects were captured aboard two skiffs after an alarm report from a merchant vessel on February 19.
Piracy Trials
Trials have been proceeding in the region for 16 suspected pirates detained in April 2012 by the Danish naval vessel ABSALON, operating as part of NATO’s Operation OCEAN SHIELD. A court in Seychelles sentenced three of the pirates to prison terms of 24 years and a fourth to 16 years. Denmark collaborated with Pakistan to secure Pakistani fishermen held hostage by the pirates to serve as witnesses in court. The next step will be to transfer the convicted pirates to serve their sentences in their home country, Somalia.
Prisoner Transfers
Meetings
The Contact Group’s Working Group 4 (Public Information) and 1 (Military and Operational Coordination, Information Sharing, and Capacity Building) met March 18-21, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Somali government officials participated for the first time in Working Group 4 meetings, and committed to harmonizing official counter piracy messaging with that of the international community. Working Group 1 reviewed the significant progress being made to enhance effective coordination of international activity to develop regional maritime security, judicial and penal capabilities, and exchanged views with leaders of the multinational naval forces operating in the High-Risk Area on the effectiveness of preventative efforts at sea, and the recent deliberations of the Shared Awareness and De-Confliction Mechanism (known as SHADE).
Representatives of the Somali Contact Group on Counter Piracy (The Kampala Process), consisting of the Federal Government of Somalia, Puntland, Galmudug, and Somaliland, met in Addis Ababa on March 11-17. These meetings, facilitated by UNPOS, UNODC, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the International Maritime Organization, and the NGO Oceans Beyond Piracy, resulted in substantial progress towards developing a single draft Somali Maritime Strategy.
Working Groups 2 and 5 will meet in Copenhagen on April 10-12.
The Fourteenth Plenary of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia will meet in New York City in the UN headquarters on May 1, 2013, chaired. The United States will chair this meeting.
Significant Developments
The Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecution & Intelligence Coordination Centre (RAPPICC) in the Seychelles officially opened on February 25. The RAPPICC will coordinate counter-piracy intelligence and information in order to better target the kingpins and financiers of Somali piracy.
Ambassador Thomas Winkler of Denmark, Chairman of the Contact Group’s Working Group 2 (Judicial Issues), accompanied UNODC officials on a visit to Puntland, including to the prison in Bosasso, which has been rebuilt in large part with funding provided by the Trust Fund. During the visit, Puntland authorities and UNODC agreed on the establishment of a national monitoring group for transferred pirate prisoners, which UNODC will supplement with an international monitoring group. In Somaliland, UNODC opened a housing complex at Hargeisa prison as part of a continuing process to upgrade penal facilities throughout the region. UNODC Counter Piracy Programme prison advisors visited the five Kenyan prisons where 130 convicted pirates are currently serving sentences of up to 20 years.
In March, $1.95 million was disbursed to the UN Development Program and UNODC to implement projects approved by the UN Trust Fund, which is managed by the UN Department of Political Affairs. The projects will develop police capacity to combat piracy in Puntland, Somalia; facilitate effective prosecution of individuals suspected of piracy; provide support to prisoner transfer flights from Seychelles to Somalia; and support the creation of a maritime law enforcement strategy and legal framework in Somalia.
Working Group 3 hosted an ad hoc meeting in London on January 15 on the High Risk Area (HRA) in London, where participants deliberated on the scope of the HRA as defined in the fourth iteration of the Best Management Practices guidelines. Another issue discussed was the idea of a transit corridor off the coast of India. The meeting provided a forum for a focused and in-depth deliberation of the HRA issue among all parties concerned.
Piracy Statistics for January 1-April 1, 2013
Hostage seafarers in pirate custody
67 on six fishing vessels, including M/V NAHAM (Oman), hijacked March 26, 2012
17 held on land from M/V ASHPAHLT VENTURE, LEOPARD, and PRATALAY 4
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