SEYCHELLES VIGILANCE PAYS DIVIDENDS
The archipelago’s undeterred drive to safeguard the island country’s extensive national waters of the Indian Ocean paid more dividends earlier in the week, when more Somali pirates were nabbed red handed, trying to hijack a Seychellois fishing vessel. Aerial surveillance and coordination with the international naval coalition led to the capture of 11 more pirates, who will be surrendered by a Spanish warship to Seychellois law enforcement personnel at the port of Victoria.
Somali ocean terrorists are beginning to fear encounters with the Seychellois coast guard, which has proved decisive and robust in their response towards them and who – once fired upon – in fact fire back and have in the past sunk pirate ‘motherships’ and rescued captives from the yoke of the terrorists.
Seychelles depends on fishing and tourism as the two main sources of income and both sectors will appreciate government’s robust handling of securing the national waters. The Minister for Home Affairs and chairman of the ‘high level committee on piracy’ Hon. Joel Morgan said in Victoria in regard to the latest capture of Somalis: ‘We will continue to deal with the pirates in the area surrounding our islands and we continue to send a strong message to these pirates that their acts of terrorism on our seas will not be tolerated’.
Adds this correspondent that using the term ‘acts of terrorism’ is spot on, as that is what the Somali pirates indeed are, ocean terrorists, posing a clear and present danger to lives and property, and hence they need to be dealt with harshly and decisively, on land and on sea, as and when and where they are spotted. On land to deny them their bases and on sea, just as soon as they leave Somali territorial waters, as terrorists worldwide deserve. Those still held in captivity by them, and those meanwhile released against huge ransom payments, will agree that any sentimental opinions on this issue are totally misplaced and only encourage the menace to continue. It is time to expand the rules of engagement for the naval coalition members and end this problem from hell once and for all.
Well done Seychelles once again.
