$300 thousand agreement
TheUnited Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is providing financial support to Seychelles, worth around $300 thousand this year that will pay for costs involved in prosecuting suspectedSomali pirates being tried in the Indian Ocean island state.
These costs include the provision of legal aid, paying for interpreters during trials as well as paying for the repatriation back to Somalia of convicted pirates to complete their sentences in their homeland as well as suspected pirates who were not charged.
The new cooperation agreement was signed yesterday by the SeychellesMinister for Home Affairs and Transport,Joel Morgan andUNODC‘s new Regional Representative for Eastern Africa Jose Vila Del Castillo.
“This is part of what we call burden sharing, it shows that the international community through theUNODC is supporting and continuously renewing its support to Seychelles in its efforts to fightpiracy (…..) This is important because we have a number of suspectedSomali pirates in the Seychelles prison and we never know tomorrow moreSomali pirates may be brought to Seychelles to undergo trial in the context ofpiracy in the Indian Ocean,” said Morgan in a press interview after the signing.
There are currently 37 Somalis prisoners in Seychelles’ prisons system of whom 13 have already been convicted ofpiracy and 23 are awaiting trial.
The island country prosecuted the largest number ofSomali pirates compared to other countries of the region between 2009-2013. To date 124 pirates have been convicted. Most of them have been repatriated to Somalia to serve their sentences.
The UN funding, worth in excess of $ 4 million, has significantly increased Seychelles’ capacity to counterpiracy and helped the island nation become the most activepiracy prosecution centre in the region.
Discussions between the Seychelles minister andUNODC executive also focused on maritime security in the region such as organized crime; drug trafficking, arms trafficking, human trafficking, instability in the region through acts of terrorism amongst others.
UNODC has also pledged support to Seychelles for rehabilitation of heroine drug addicts.
Source: Seychelles News Agency
