Puntland Minister says anti-piracy efforts show res

[sheekh-Farax-zero]

GAROWE, Somalia June 18 (Garowe Online) - A government minister in Somalia's semiautonomous state of Puntland has said that ongoing anti-piracy measures are showing some results, Radio Garowe reports Thursday.

Mr. Mohamed Farah Aden, Puntland's Fisheries and Marine Resources Minister, told community-based Radio Garowe that "clear steps" taken by Puntland security forces to weaken pirates' ability to launch attacks has contributed to an overall downturn in pirate attacks.

"Some of them [pirates] have even declared that they quit [piracy] after meetings with Muslim scholars," the Fisheries Minister said, while speaking about 200 former pirates who have joined a rehabilitation program.

Minister Aden accused some foreign warships of "using piracy as an excuse to justify abuse of Somali marine resources," while noting that pirate attacks off the Somali coast have lessened in recent months.

He called on the international community to assist the Puntland government overcome the scourge of piracy, while arguing that foreign ships off the Somali coast have raised suspicion among the Somali public.

Puntland's Fisheries Minister underscored that piracy can be defeated on the ground by aiding Puntland security forces, who are spearheading efforts to arrest and sentence pirates in court, and prevent future pirate attacks.

Puntland, located in northeastern Somalia, considers itself as a self-governing federal state and has been a relatively stable region with a functioning government since 1998.