126 pirates convicted in last four years

British prosecutors in Seychelles.

Horn of Africa: 126 pirates convicted in the in the past 4 years

British prosecutors have worked with their counterparts in the Seychelles to convict 126 Somali pirates in the last four years, and contributed to nearly two years without a reported commercial hijacking off the Horn of Africa. Attacks are at their lowest level since 2006.

The region, which contains one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes, has been suffering regular attacks from pirates since 2005, with the number of hijackings peaking at 52 in 2009.

As part of an effort to tackle piracy in the region, British prosecutors have been based in the Seychelles since 2010. All were funded by the UN and the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), and in that time they have personally conducted the prosecution of pirates, provided legal training to prosecutors in-country, and advised on equipping local justice systems with the necessary framework to tackle piracy across the region. The Seychelles is now one of the world’s leading jurisdictions for the prosecution of pirates and has been commended by the UN for its part in prosecuting piracy.

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Source: africabriefing.org