Commander of Combined Task Force 151 met the Vice President of the Seychelles to discuss the combined approach that has been successful in suppressing piracy in the region over the past years.
Chief of Seychelles Coast Guard, Lt Col Simon Dine (l), and Commander Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, Rear Admiral Hiroshi Ito (r), survey the Seychelles Coast Guard Fleet.
Rear Admiral Ito, Commander of the Japanese led task force, and the Vice President, Mr Danny Faure discussed the importance of maintaining the current suppression of piracy in the region. The Rear Admiral congratulated the Seychelles Government on their success in providing the legal framework to prosecute Somali pirates.
He said, “The Seychelles has delivered a big contribution to international counter piracy efforts. The legal process they deliver must send a strong message to all that should individuals attempt piracy, they will face a strong and determined legal end to their actions.”
The meeting with the Vice-President was part of wider engagement conducted by the Commander CTF151 which included visits to the Chief of the Seychelles Defence Force, the Ministries of Home and Foreign Affairs as well as the Attorney General and the Seychelles Coast Guard.
Commander CTF 151, Rear Admiral Ito (l), is recieved by Vice President of the Seychelles, Mt Danny Faure (r) where they discussed collaborative counter piracy efforts.
Whilst there has not been a successful act of piracy in the region since 2012, the threat still remains. The Admiral stated that although, “Piracy in the area around the Horn of Africa has been suppressed; however, the causes and potential threat to shipping still remain.”
As Commander of a multinational counter piracy task force, Rear Admiral Ito recognises the importance of a multi-national, multi-agency approach. He said, “no single nation or navy can be expected to provide security over such a large area. We must ensure we continue our collaborative approach that has been so successful of the past years to optimize our efforts and act as a force multiplier. The work the Seychelles Government is doing is a great example of this approach.”
