News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

SOMALI pirates marauding the East Coastline will from now onwards find it difficult to hijack ships sailing along the Indian Ocean waters, following a new agreement reached between Kenya and Tanzania to safeguard a trade area of the continental shelf.

The two neighboring East African states are at the same time in the process of finalizing joint regulations and procedures that will go to the depository at the United Nations to tame illegal trading and piracy.

The move comes as plans to have the two states extend their nautical miles in the sea are expected to bear fruits, the EASTAFRICAN weekly has reported in its current edition.

The popular and widely read weekly reported that Kenya and Tanzania have registered with the UN the request to extend their continental shelf, which would make it possible for the two states to tackle cases of piracy and illegal trade much more effectively.

Under the new agreement, the two countries would be able to monitor the environment so that cases of dumping toxic wastes or pesticides or any other chemicals that degrade the environment, would be kept in check.

However, similar agreement between Tanzania and Comoros, Mozambique and Mauritius have delayed to take off due to lack of resources to implement the agreement.

The report quoted Kenya High Commissioner to Tanzania Mr. Mutinda Mutiro as saying that the memorandum of understanding between the two states has already been signed to enhance security and securer water, while envisaging the enormous resources coming along with territorial extension sought by the two countries.

The Kenyan envoy was further quoted by the weekly as having disclosed that the area that previously covered the mandatory 200 nautical miles will now be extended by an extra 150 nautical miles giving the two states more leeway in terms of security surveillance.

The signing of the latest agreement between Kenya and Tanzania comes at a time when insurgents in the territory are on the increase with Somali pirates often seizing ships and demanding ransom. In May this year, Somali pirates hijacked a ship carrying electric wires from Europe meant for huge power project in Southern Tanzania.

The two East African countries are also jointly pondering ways to have the Law of the Sea changed to address the current situation, whereby countries like Somalia without a functional government still have the mandatory 200 nautical miles under their jurisdictions, thus making it difficult to pursue the pirates into their country waters.

Kenya has so far provided a place where pirates would be held and prosecuted, although what should normally happen is for them to be tried in their own country or taken to the International Criminals Court of Justice at the Hague. This has seriously exposed Kenya to a possible reprisal or revenge attack by Islamists international terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabaab said to be getting financial and material assistance from their master and warlord Osama Bin Laden. “Trying them in their own country, it is obvious is next to impossible. Owing to the prevailing political and military circumstances, thus the increased area. to be our two countries security surveillance decreases their operating areas, which is currently notorious for piracy as well as illegal fishing or illegal trade in the high seas, “said the Kenyan diplomat.

The new agreement defines the maritime boundary from the country of the territorial water as defined in the 1976 Maritime Boundary Agreement .It also says that the basis of maritime boundary delimitation share the parallel of latitude as established in the 1976 Maritime Boundary Agreement.. Kenya and Tanzania met on May 13 deadline to apply to the UN for the extension of the territorial waters by 150 nautical miles, to the current 200 nautical miles of the Exclusive Economic Zone{EEZ}. The extension would also give the two Eastern African nations the right to explore and exploit living, non-living and mineral resources on the seabed and subsoil of the extended continental shelf adjacent to the EEZ.

The potential resources of the extended continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical miles include petroleum, and gas, iron manganese, copper cobalt, nodules, and nickels and crusts polymeric sulphides and placed deposits.

UN member nations were allowed to enter preliminary data while awaiting comprehensive submissions, if they lacked the resources to make full application. The submission, according to officials in Nairobi would cost Kenya Kshs 700 million {USD 9 million}}.

There have been reported several seizures of ships by Somali pirates in the Horn of Africa, some with relief food for the famine stricken regions, oil and military equipment.

On March 8,2009, Somali pirates captured for the first time a US flagged ship at some point between 240 and 400 nautical miles off the coast of the country’s Puntiland region.

On January 9, five Somali pirates drowned and their share of USD 3 ransom was lost at Sea. Three others in the boat, which had sunk during storm were rescued. The vessel used by these pirates overturned shortly after the pirates had released the Sirius Star, a Saudi based oil tanker, following a two months standoff in the Gulf of Aden.. The hijacked ship, Liberia flagged, is owned by Vein International Marine limited, a subsidiary of Saudi oil company Aramco. Dozens of pirates were involved in the November 18, 200 hijacking oil-laden vessel. The ransom was delivered by airdrop parachuting close for the pirates to collect. They were then allowed to make their escape.

Pirate-infested Gulf of Aden, which separates Somalia on the African continent from Yemen is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes.

Anew international naval force under the US command began patrolling the area laden to stem the growing problem of pirates along the Somalia coastline. In the past year alone, the Somali pirates carried 163 attacks. The French military recently reported the number was up to 58 hijacking in 2007 alone.

Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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Date: Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:47:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: EAST AFRICAN NATIONS OF KENYA AND TANZANIA JOINT AGREEMMENT TO CURB SOMALI PIRACY IN THEIR COASTLINE.