MAAHARAMIA WATEKA MELI ZAIDI YA 300 KATIKA BAHARI YA HINDI, KIPINDI CHA MIAKA MITATU ILIYOPITA

Na Waandishi wa Jeshi la Polisi

Zaidi ya Meli 300 zilizokuwa zikisafirisha biashara katika ukanda wa Bahari ya Hindi zilitekwa nyara na maharamia katika kipindi cha miaka mitatu iliyopita.

Hayo yamesemwa na Waziri wa Mambo ya Nje Mh. Bernard Membe, wakati akifunga mkutano wa Wakuu wa Majeshi ya Polisi kutoka nchi za Upwa wa bahari ya Hindi na Wawakilishi wa Kimataifa ikiwa ni hatua ya kupinga vitendo vya uharamia kwenye Pwani ya Bahari hiyo.

Waziri Membe amesema kuwa hadi sasa ni meli 306 zimetekwa na kwamba kutokana na uharamia huo kumekuwa kukiongeza hofu zaidi kwa wasafirishaji bidhaa katika upwa za Bahari ya Hindi na hivyo kuchangia kuzorotesha hali ya uchumi katika nchi za Kiafrika.

Amesema katika kukabiliana na vitendo hivyo vya kiharamia Umoja wa Kimataifa kwa kushirikiana na nchi za Jumuia ya Umoja wa nchi za Ulaya zinakusudia kufadhili mafunzo maalum ya kupambana na vitendo vya kiharamia kwa askari 1000 kutoka nchi mbalimbali za ukanda huo wa Bahari ya Hindi.

Awali mwakilishi wa Katibu Mkuu wa Shirikisho la Polisi wa Kimataifa Duniani (INTERPOL) Bi. Elizabeth Kuteesa, aliyataja maazimio kumi yaliyofikiwa na mkutano huo yanayolenga kutokomeza vitendo hivyo.

Miongoni mwa maazimio hayo ni pamoja na kushirikisha wadau mbalimbali watakaosaidia kuhamasisha na kuratibu mtazamo wa pamoja katika mapambano dhidi ya uharamia kwenye mwambao wa Bahari ya Hindi.


Maazimio memngine ni kutambua na kuunga mkono jitihada zinazofanywa na nchi za kanda katika kukabiliana na uharamia katika Ghuba ya Aden na Pwani ya Somalia, Washiriki wa mkutano huo pia wameona ni muhimu kuishirikisha Somalia katika mchakato mzima wa mkakati wa kuzuia uharamia katika bahari ya hindi.


Wamekubaliana pia kuongeza jitihada kwa nchi wanachama na mashirika ya kimataifa katika kujenga mtandao imara wa uongozi utakaosaidia kupunguza ama kuondoa kabisa vitendo vya kiharamia

Wamesema wataongeza juhudi katika ubadilishanaji wa taarifa za kihalifu miongoni mwa nchi wanachama, vikosi vya kijeshi, taasisi binafsi, taasisi za kimataifa kwa kuzingatia azimio la umoja wa mataifa la mwaka 1950.

Wamekubaliana kuhamasisha na kutoa msaada katika jitihada zinazofanywa na Shirikisho la Polisi wa Kimataifa Duniani (INTERPOL), Shirikisho la Kipolisi la nchi za Ulaya EUROPOL, IMO, mawakala wa Umoja wa Mataifa (UN-AGENCIES) katika kutoa mafunzo ya watunza sheria.

Wamesema watatoa ushirikiano kwa mawakala na watunga sheria katika ngazi ya kitaifa na kimataifa kuanzia hatua ya awali ya matukio ya kiharamia na kuendelea kubadilishana taarifa za kishahidi na wahalifu ikiwa ni pamoja na kuwafikisha mbele ya vyombo vya sheria washukiwa wa vitendo vya uharamia.

Aidha katika maazimio hayo pia wamekubaliana kupitia upya usajili wa mashirika ya kimataifa kama inavyotekelezwa na IMO, UNODC, na UNDOALOS ili kuondoa vikwazo katika usafirishaji wa watuhumiwa kutoka nchi moja kwenda nyingine ikiwa ni pamoja na wale wanaopatikana na hatia katika makosa ya kiharamia.

Mkutano huo ulifungul;iwa na Waziri wa Mambo ya Ndani Mh. Shamsi Vuai Nahodha, ambapo alisema wawekezaji wengi wanaosafirisha bidhaa kutoka nchi moja kwenda nyingine, wamekuwa wakikumbwa na hofu ya kutekwa na hivyo kusababisha kuzorota kwa hali ya uchumi barani Afrika.

Mh. Nahodha ameongeza kuwa kuwepo kwa uongozi usio rasmi nchini Somalia kumekuwa kukichangia kwa kiasi kikubwa ongezeko la vitendo vya utekaji meli za mizigo kwenye Bahari ya Hindi hivyo kuzitaka nchi zinazozunguka Upwa wa Bahari ya Hindi kushirikiana kwa pamoja katika vita hivyo.


Mkutano huo wa siku moja ambao umeandaliwa na Jeshi la Polisi hapa nchini kwa kushirikiana na INTERPOL na kuhudhuriwa na Wakuu wa Vyombo vya Ulinzi na Usalama kutoka nchi za Afrika zilizopo Pembezoni mwa Bahari ya Hindi.

Nchi hizo ni Djibout, Ghana, Kenya, Shelisheli, Somalia Umoja wa Mataifa umelenga kutafuta njia zitakazotumika kutokomeza vitendo vya kiharamia katika upwa za Bahari ya Hindi. 
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RECOMMENDATIONS


REGIONAL MEETING ON PIRACY DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA, 10 DECEMBER 2010


• Encourages a coordinated and integrated approach among all stakeholders involved in the fight against maritime piracy: member countries, international organizations, military forces operating on the high seas and the private industry, in order to avoid a duplication of efforts and resources.

• Recognizes and supports the important efforts made by the regional states to curb maritime piracy in the Gulf of Aden and off the Coast of Somalia, by accepting the transfer of suspected pirates and accepting the responsibility to prosecute them.

• Emphasizes the need to fully involve Somalia in the process and in the overall strategy to curb maritime piracy, since the phenomenon will never be eradicated until political stability is restored to Somalia and the external actors contributing to this instability are identified, arrested and brought to justice.

• Encourages that more attention be given to the prevention aspects of maritime piracy so as to increase the efforts made by member countries and international organizations to focus on the leadership networks behind maritime piracy activities.


• As endorsed by UN Resolution 1950, encourages the increased exchange of information among member countries, the military forces, the private industry and international organizations, notably through INTERPOL and Europol.

• Welcomes, supports and further encourages the efforts made by international organizations such as INTERPOL, Europol, IMO and the UN agencies, to provide basic, intermediary and advanced law enforcement training to military forces who perform a law enforcement role in their apprehension of pirates in high seas.

• Supports the involvement of law enforcement agencies, at the national and international levels, at the very early stages of maritime piracy incidents, so as to increase the amount of information exchanged and enhance the success of prosecution.

• Supports the establishment of Post Release Regional Joint Investigations Teams in order to perform crime scene investigations on the released vessels so as to enable the collection and preservation of evidences and further enhance the success of prosecution.


• Encourages the review and harmonization of national legislations, as undertaken by the IMO, the UNODC, UNDOALOS, so as to facilitate the transfer, prosecution and conviction of suspected pirates.


• Encourages the continued building of capacity, through the provision of equipment and training sessions in the regional states.