A United Sates official said the most effective way to defeating piracy depended on the ship owners taking their own security measures to fight off piracy.
Thomas M. Countryman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs said the US coast guard and the maritime administration have required US flagged vessels to employ such practices when they are delivering US food to the Horn of Africa.
“It has proven to be the most important factor in a decline of successful pirate attacks in the region,” he said during a US policy briefing in Washington DC.
Mr. Countryman also said that the United States government encouraged all the states that were affected by piracy to prosecute pirates.
He lauded Kenya for agreeing to prosecute a number of suspected pirates. However he said there was not enough legal capacity in the region to handle all the potential suspects who are apprehended.
“Prosecution in the region has economic and humanitarian benefits as opposed to carrying out prosecution thousands of miles away from the scene of the activity,” he said.
He warned that the payment of ransom finances the continued expansion of piracy in purchasing weapons or boats. He said although Somalia was under UN weapons sanction, the steps to prevent the follow of weapons is met with little success.
A United Sates official said the most effective way to defeating piracy depended on the ship owners taking their own security measures to fight off piracy.
