Kenya, Tanzania mull joint naval patrols to curb piracy
Nairobi, 18 May-(ANA)-Kenya and Tanzania on Sunday were mulling the deployment of joint naval patrols on the Indian Ocean to stem the tide of piracy.
The idea came up at talks between the leader of Tanzania's semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar, Abeid Amani Karume and Kenyan vice president Kalonzo Musyoka.
The leaders said the problem of piracy was not only delaying cargo deliveries, but also pushing up the cost of shipping, as vessels had to be diverted more than 6,000 nautical miles to avoid the pirate-ridden zone.
"This problem of piracy is so serious and it is even now affecting the performance of our economy," said Karume.
"We are requesting that Kenya and Tanzania participate in joint naval activities in the region."
Kenya was also concerned at the disruption of maritime business along one of the world's busiest trade routes due to piracy off the coast of Somalia, said Musyoka.(ANA)
