Somali MP protests against navy theft of Somali fishing boat equipment

"While we fully support the anti-piracy operations of the navies, if they are conducted in accordance with the provisions of the UNSC resolutions and with the specific consent of the Somali Government," Somali member of parliament Hon. Ashareh stated, "we, however, have not given permission to the foreign navies to transfer property from the Somali territory into the hands of the Djiboutian navy."

The legislator explained: Many of these outboard engines were stolen by the pirate gangs from poor local fishermen or from governmental fisheries projects," and demanded: "All the equipment confiscated by the foreign navies within the waters of Somalia or in connection with the stopping of boats from Somalia must be returned into the hands of the Somali authorities. Anything else is pure theft."

MP Ashareh demanded that the engines be handed back by the Chief of the Djiboutian Navy Colonel Abdourahman Aden Cher to the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.

"The Somali sovereignty must be respected by all means," the Somali lawmaker concluded and urged the Somali Foreign Minister to follow up with his counterpart in Djibouti.

The European Naval Forces had reported earlier:

EU NAVFOR transfers pirates’ outboard engines to the Djiboutian Navy (EUNAVFOR)

In Djibouti on 7 December, RAdm Christian Canova FRAN, Deputy Commander EU NAVFOR, transferred six powerful outboard motors which had been confiscated from Somali pirates to Colonel Abdourahman Aden Cher, Chief of the Djiboutian Navy.

The engines were taken from small skiffs which had been stopped by EU NAVFOR units conducting counter-piracy operations off the Horn of Africa and exchanged for smaller engines which have sufficient power to get the suspected pirates back to Somalia but would not allow them to intercept and board merchant ships, thereby preventing subsequent pirate attacks. The engines have been completely overhauled and will provide a very useful upgrade to the Djiboutian Navy Rigid Inflatable boats.

During the handover ceremony, attended by the EU Ambassador, Nicola Delcroix, RAdm Canova said how pleased he was to be able to assist the Djiboutian Navy and that EU NAVFOR would continue to work with Navies in the region to counter the menace of piracy

EU NAVFOR conducts counter-piracy in the Indian Ocean and is responsible for the protection of World Food Program ships carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Somalia and the logistic support vessels of the African Union troops conducting Peace Support Operations in Somalia. Additionally, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia

Source: INTERNATIONAL.TO The Telegraph Group www.Telegraph.net.au