Cairo, 22 April-(ANA)-Somalia's president has warned against any U.S. strike on the land bases of pirates who have seized dozens of ships off his country's coastline, saying such an attack would have no positive effect.
Sheikh Sharif Ahmed told a news conference in Cairo that he preferred instead to strengthen Somali police forces to act against Somali buccaneers who have made millions of dollars seizing vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean.
Asked about a possible U.S. strike, Ahmed said: "We advise against this ... because strikes like these rarely hit their marks."
"Training and arming the Somali forces is what will secure an end to this phenomenon," Ahmed said.
"The idea now is to strengthen the Somali police force so they can pursue them, and to establish a coast guard whose mission would be to protect the Somali coast and prevent pirates from attacking passing ships."
On Tuesday, a U.S. judge ruled that a Somali teenager accused of holding hostage a U.S. ship captain would be tried for piracy as an adult.
In Kenya, the French navy handed over 11 pirates on Wednesday captured in a naval raid this month.
Several pirates taken after seizing French ships also face trial in France, but some have asked to be sent back to Somalia. (ANA)
