UN piracy unit urged to shift focus to maritime crime in Africa eastern coast

The UN Contact Group on Piracy along the Western Indian Ocean has been urged to focus its attention to the rising cases of migrant smuggling and illegal fishing as it ventures into new areas of focus following a decline in piracy activities in the region.

The Western Indian Ocean stretches along the coast along the mainland countries of Somalia, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa and vast oceanic areas surrounding the Island States of Madagascar, Seychelles, Comoros, Mauritius and French territories.

With 1,497 days gone since the last reported piracy incident along the region, security experts are warning that the vice has been suppressed but it isn’t gone forever, hence the need to remain vigilant while addressing the root cause of piracy which has been identified as poverty.

Poverty is also fuelling a demand for migration in the region with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) -Kenya Chief of Mission Sharon Dimanche noting that economic hardships, political instability and effects of climate change are fuelling migrant smuggling in the region.

“It has grown very significantly in the past two decades due to the ever-increasing demand for individuals who wish to migrate and leave their home country. The proceeds of these activities have been linked to wider criminal networks allowing them to gain access to a variety of illicit resources in both the marine and land criminal arena,” said Ms Dimanche.

Source: The East African