Mauritius offers its services in the fight against piracy

(BRUSSELS2) Mauritius is ready to contribute to the effort to fight against piracy, in particular by ensuring the pursuit of suspects on its territory. Prime Minister Nizan Ramgoolam confirmed this on Saturday at a press conference in Port-Louis (the capital), according to our colleagues from the Mauritian press. Mauritius would thus be the fourth country that can host legal proceedings after Kenya and the Seychelles - which have both signed an agreement for the transfer of suspected pirates with the EU -, Tanzania - which could sign such an agreement by September after adapting its judicial structures and criminal law.

A regional court?

During a dinner with Catherine Ashton, the EU's chief diplomat, held in London recently, the Prime Minister of Mauritius went even further, offering to host a regional tribunal against piracy. However, Mauritius is asking for EU help, particularly to set up a specific prison for pirates captured in the Indian Ocean, to prevent them from being "mixed with local inmates".

The development of piracy, towards the south of the Indian Ocean, the increase in the price of insurance which increases the cost of imported goods as well as the risk of seeing tourism (which has enabled the Mauritian economy to take off) convinced the leaders of the Island to be a little more active in the fight against piracy. The island which also offers many merchant ships its flag, classified as a "flag of convenience".

NB: the island is in legal conflict with the United Kingdom over the Chagos Islands, which hosts a British and US military base, and was detached from Mauritian territory at independence in 1968.

(NVP)