Over 200 Delegates discussed the continual threat of piracy off the coast of Somalia
Counter Piracy Week finished on 14 November 2013 in Djibouti where over 200 participants including representatives from African nations, the shipping industry, legal experts and NATO discussed the continual threat of piracy off the eastern coast of Africa.
The international conference was the 15th Plenary of the Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia. It is the first time that the Contact Group met in Djibouti, signalling an enhanced leadership role for the eastern African nation in the fight against piracy in the region. Delegates discussed the continual threat of piracy off the coast of Somalia and how regional nations can contribute to the international counter-piracy effort.
On Sunday, 10 November 2013, NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD warship HDMS ESBERN SNARE boarded two small craft and detained nine suspected pirates, following an attack in the area the previous day. The failed attack on TORM KANSAS, a Danish flagged vessel, was one of several such attacks in the Indian Ocean recently, indicating an increase in pirate activity in the region.
Overall, however, the number of pirate attacks at sea, off the coast of Somalia has dropped significantly over the last year. The presence of international warships, including those from NATO, as well as the security measures adopted by commercial shipping companies, have all helped to reduce the threat. There has not been a successful hijacking of a commercial vessel off the coast of Somalia for more than a year now.
Source & Image Credit : NATO