MOGADISHU – Somali government has called for the international community to continue supporting the fight again piracy off the Somali coast amid reports of new piracy incidents in the international waters in recent weeks.
For the first time in over two and half years, Somali pirates attacked a UK-flagged merchant vessel off the east of Somali coast last week, according to the European Union’s counter piracy operation Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR), raising concerns of possible piracy resurgence.
Speaking at the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday, Mohamed Rabi, the Somali Chargé d’affaires of thecountry’s UN mission lauded the international community’s “robust commitment” to address piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia that he said resulted in a “massive reduction” of the crime in recent years.
His remarks come few hours after the Security Council adopted a resolution reauthorizing anti-piracy measures in the Horn of Africa country for another year.
The Council also expressed concern over illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in Somalia’s Exclusive Economic Zone that resulted in loss of revenue and can lead to destabilization in coastal communities.
Somali pirates seized hundreds of vessels including large containers and tourist yachts at the height of piracy activities. The sea gangs also received hundreds of millions of dollars in ransom.
Attacks have sharply declined in recent years, thanks to the European Union naval forces that intensified naval operations that have led to a further drop in successful piracy attacks in the international waters.
