European Union announces East Africa maritime security programme

April 25, 2012

  • + Comment now
  • Print
  • Reset Decrease Increase

The European Union plans to begin a programme to help improve maritime security in East Africa as pirate attacks decline in the region, EU Ambassador to Tanzania Filiberto Ceriani Sebregondi announced on Tuesday (April 24th).

The Regional Maritime Capacity Building programme, which will cover Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Djibouti, the Seychelles and Mauritius, will run for one to two years, with a possibility of extension, Sebregondi said, according to Bloomberg. In Somalia, it will emphasise police and judiciary training to facilitate the country’s handling of piracy crimes domestically.

Pirate attacks on the Somali coast have decreased from 97 to 43 incidents in the first quarter of 2012, according to the International Maritime Bureau.

The EU also plans to spend 16 million euros ($21 million) over the next two years on its anti-piracy programme off the Somali coast to protect UN food aid shipments to the country.

What do you think of this article? (TOTAL VOTES: 2)

Dislike_icon(0)

(Comment Policy) *Denotes Required Field

Latest News

In the Spotlight

Kenya opens high-tech anti-terrorism facility

Police officers with police dogs face demonstrators in Nairobi's Eastleigh neighbourhood on November 19, 2012, a day after a bomb exploded in a minibus, killing seven. [Carl de Souza/AFP]

The Kenya Police Operations Centre will give the country an edge in warding off extremist threats by co-ordinating efforts among national security agencies, government officials say.

Subscribe

Poll

Do you think Tanzania's ban on religious hate speech will stop attacks against churches and mosques?

View results