EAC
Monday, May 12, 2014
EU gives $3m for shipping security
SAFETY: A merchant ship is shadowed by a fighting ship (right) attached to the international coalition providing security in the sea lanes around East Africa.
ARUSHA, Tanzania - The European Union is scaling up its financial support to the EAC to fight maritime crime in the Indian Ocean.
In a deal signed in Arusha last week, the EU is providing euro 2.3 million (about $3 million) to improve maritime security and create a favourable environment for economic development in the region.
The EU is supporting EAC efforts to fight piracy, drugs and human trafficking, arms smuggling, illegal fishing and maritime pollution. These are considered serious threats that can undermine peace and stability, deplete the natural resources, and increase the cost of doing business in the EAC region.
The EU Ambassador to Tanzania and EAC, Filiberto Sebregondi, said, “Improving maritime security is key to create favourable conditions for economic growth and social development. The Maritime Security (MASE) Programme will support the EAC in taking part in global and regional efforts towards a safer Eastern Africa.”
The Maritime Security (MASE) Programme is part of a euro 37.5 million package to four regional organisations of Eastern and Southern Africa.
They include the East African Community (EAC), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC).
The programme is expected to strengthen regional capacities to implement the Regional Strategy and Action Plan against Piracy and for Maritime Security adopted in 2010.
“The threat of piracy in the Indian Ocean has gone down considerably – thanks to the concerted efforts of international and regional partners in the last few years. However, other forms of criminal action at sea have become visible and we should not relent on in our efforts to continue strengthening the tools and capability to enforce law and order on the high seas. Today’s cooperation agreement is part of this effort,” Sebregondi said.
Jean-Claude Nsengiyumva, the Deputy Secretary General in-charge of Finance and Administration, signed on behalf of the EAC.
He commended the EU saying the support is timely and will improve the business climate in the region, leading to reducing poverty levels among the citizens of the EAC member states which now account for nearly 145 million people.
“No development can take place without a secure environment. The EU-EAC Maritime Security (MASE) Programme will emphasise the interdependence between security and economic development and tackles security threats jointly,” he said.
Within the framework of the EU financial support the EAC has been entrusted to lead the efforts to strengthen capabilities for arrest, transfer, detention and prosecution of pirates, both at national and regional levels.
In particular, support will be provided to investigative capabilities, for example, via the support to a regional forensic centre. The EAC is also required to coordinate the activities related to prisons reform and capacity building to prosecutors and court staff. Cooperation is also expected from International organizations such as Interpol and UNODC.
Other components of the programme, the pact says, will be run by other regional organizations, be it COMESA, IGAD or OIC. Those notably will focus on implementing the Somalia Inland Action Plan, on disrupting piracy financial networks, and on improving coordination and information exchange between stakeholders.
In doing so, Sebregondi said, the MASE programme will also ensure a coordination with another EU continental programme called “Critical Maritime Routes” and further activities related to maritime information sharing system and networking.
Activities related to financial flows will also have to be coordinated with another project called “Law enforcement in East Africa”, which focuses on effective pro-active investigation on piracy organizers and financiers.
According to the EU, the MASE programme falls under an EU comprehensive approach to fighting piracy. It complements other EU specialized missions such as EUCAP, Nestor for capacity building, EUNAVFOR/Atlanta for sea patrolling and the EU military training mission (EUTM) for Somalia.
By Elisha Mayallah, Monday, May 12th, 2014