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| Africa Horn | |
| Somaliland opens "pirate prison" | |
| 2011-02-19 | |
| Somaliland is the former British portion which has broken away (although it is not recognised by any other country) from Somalia, the former Italian portion. A new central prison for persons convicted to long sentences has been made use of in Somaliland's capital Hargeisa. The prison, partially financed by Norway, was today visited by Somaliland Home Affairs Minister, Maxamed Cabdi Gabboose, accompanied by Norway's Deputy Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide. The Hargeisa prison is to be formally inaugurated later this month, but already houses over 70 Somali pirates that had been arrested by international marine forces in the Bay of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
According to Norwegian Deputy-Minister Eide, the new facilities - starring as the most modern building in run-down Hargeisa - "appeared effective and moderns, both regarding prisoners' conditions and security." High standards had been a condition to extradite captured pirates by many of the nations participating in the anti-piracy operations. Consequently, Mr Eide also announced further Norwegian cooperation and funding for Somaliland's justice sector, "including police, courts and correctional services, and also for the development of more modern legal codes," according to a statement by the Oslo Ministry of Foreign Affairs. "When we know that nine out of ten pirates are released after being caught, it is obvious that the only answer to this problem cannot be sending more marine troops," said Mr Eide, who back in Norway faces critics because his maritime nation is not participating in the naval anti-piracy operations. | |
| Posted by:tipper |