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| Africa Horn |
| Pirates caught by France to face trial in Kenya |
| 2009-04-17 |
| [Al Arabiya Latest] France plans to hand the 11 Somali pirates seized in a naval raid this week to Kenyan authorities, as Europe ramps up its mission to fight the wave of attacks on shipping in the waters off East Africa. The French frigate, Nivose, part of an EU force trying to halt attacks launched by pirates from Somalia, arrested 11 gunmen after it intercepted a pirate "mother ship" on Wednesday, officials said. "The Nivose should arrive in (the Kenyan port) Mombasa within four days, as it is towing the boats that it captured, which limits its speed," said a ministry spokesman. The men were being taken to Kenya under the terms of a new treaty between Kenya and the European Union, he said. Kenya has agreed to deal with the detainees under accords with the European Union, Britain and the United States, but it has said it cannot try all pirates. French forces have captured 71 suspected pirates and killed three more over the past year. |
| Posted by:Fred |