The chief of Somalia's anti-piracy task force has thanked the UAE government for contributing to a programme that is helping the war-ravaged African country turn the tide in the battle against pirates.

In an interview with Khaleej Times, Dr Muhyadin Ali Yosif said funds from the UAE have helped get the Somalia Maritime Security Forces (SMSF) off the ground.

"Funds from the previous year were managed to develop the capacity building of the Somali Maritime Security Forces," said Yosif. "This team aims to fight pirates from their home base within Somalia. And with their development through international fund-raising strategies, the force will have new systems and logistics that could easily lead them to the source of these pirates and capture them before launch."

Yosif also highlighted the success of inland counter piracy. By detecting informants on land, the force is able to quickly apprehend pirates out at sea. "We've recently discovered that many undercover members, linked to the pirates, send information about the ships' destinations, timing, crew and cargo to the pirates. However, we are developing a new system that could possibly detect such information and the source, and this will most probably put an end to their story.

"However, I'd like to point out that the easiest way to counter piracy is to stop ransom."

Source: Khaleej Times