A Norwegian frigate is back on duty off the east coast of Africa, joining international forces in an ongoing patrol against pirates in and around the Gulf of Aden. Members of Parliament were rushing through legislation this week about where to jail any pirates caught.
The plan is to send captured pirates to prison in the Seychelles, where other members of the international force including Great Britain and Denmark have had agreements. “It’s natural that those convicted of hijacking a ship serve their time in the area,” MP Jan Bøhler of the Labour party told newspaper Aftenposten over the weekend.
Norwegian naval personnel will take part in the NATO-led operation “Ocean Shield” for the next six months. Their UN mandate is to secure safe passage for international ship traffic in the Indian Ocean as ships sail off the coast of Somalia, where most of the pirates originate.
Norway is using its frigate Fridtjof Nansen in the operation, which began late last week.
newsinenglish.no staff
