BERBERA, 06 November 2009 (Somalilandpress) — Somaliland government officials and officers from NATO’s anti-piracy mission, which has warships patrolling the seas off the coast of neighbouring Somalia met aboard a naval warship anchored off the coast of Berbera.
Participating in the meeting on the Somaliland side were members of the government, officials from the Sahil regional authority, the head of the port of Berbera and officers from the Somaliland coastguards & security services.
There was no official communiqué from the meeting from either side, but sources confirmed to Geeska Afrika that the main agenda of the meeting concentrated on areas of mutual interest between Somaliland and NATO including combating piracy in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
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According to an eyewitness on the scene the meeting lasted approximately two hours after which the NATO warship headed for the high seas and the Somaliland delegation returned ashore.
In the past, Somaliland has offered the use of its ports on its long coastline for NATO ships to combat Somali pirates. Somaliland coastguards have managed to keep Somalia’s sea-gangs off it’s coast and is considered one of the safest waters in the Horn.
In a related development, a ship carrying food aid from the World Food Programme docked at the port of Berbera yesterday with logistics destined for the neighbouring landlocked Ethiopia.
Source Geeska Afrika
Somaliland needs to learn from these people and ask for equipment to combat piracy from Somalia. Training is what we need the most, few helicpters wont hurt too