The two leaders noted during talks at the State House here that the
route was crucial to economies of the two countries, because most
imports and exports of the region pass through. The Gulf of Aden and
the Somali coast are among the world’s most important shipping lanes,
connecting Europe and Asia via the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. It is
used by 20,000 ships a year and has become the world’s hot spot for
pirate attacks.
Last year, 42 ships were seized and pirates earned at least one million
US dollars or more in ransom each time they freed a ship. The pirates
operate freely because Somalia has had no effective central government
in nearly 20 years. Almost every public institution has crumbled and
the UN-backed government controls only limited territory and is
fighting an Islamic insurgency. Pirates hijacking ships have been a
problem affecting trade and other activities in the region. We should
work jointly to stop these illegal activities, President Karume told
the Kenyan VP.
He said some commercial ships to the East African coast were forced to
divert the route up to more than 6,000 nautical miles, sometimes
leading to delays in delivery of cargo to avoid being hijacked. This,
he said, result in shipping companies to increased freight charges. Mr
Musyoka also expressed Kenya’s concern at the destruction caused by
piracy off the Coast of Somalia. "We are concerned and every effort
must be put in place to deal with piracy decisively", said Musyoka.
The Zanzibar president urged Kenyans to promote and safeguard peace and
stability in their country, saying internal squabbles would undermine
development efforts. Mr Musyoka said Tanzania was a good neighbour and
Kenyans regard the country as a proper place to invest profitably. The
Kenyan leader and his delegation were later given a guided tour of
farms where he was shown how cinnamon, ginger, cloves and other spices
for which Zanzibar is famous for are grown. Mr Musyoka is in Tanzania
for a three-day official visit, where he held talks with top government
leaders in Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. He is scheduled to leave for
home today.
Daily News
Post published in: Zimbabwe News