Germany has confidence in the manner the Kenyan Government is implementing the agreement aimed at reinforcing the fight against piracy along the Somali coast.

The government had taken up the issue of piracy seriously, despite it being a huge burden to the country, German ambassador to Kenya Walter Lindner said.

The envoy was speaking at the Mombasa law courts yesterday during the first hearing of one of the cases against suspected pirates captured by the German navy in the Indian Ocean.

“I am here to see how the proceedings will go on and also to check on how the suspects are being handled,” he said.
Red Sea countries

On Tuesday, the ambassador visited Shimo la Tewa prison, where 16 suspects captured by the Germans are being held.

In January, Indian Ocean and Red Sea countries pledged to cooperate and share operations such as investigating and prosecuting suspected pirates found off the coast of the war-ravaged Somalia in a stepped up campaign to curb the scourge.

Separately, the French navy yesterday handed over 11 suspected Somali pirates to the Kenyan police, bringing the total number of piracy suspects to 43.

CID officer Sebson Wandera said the 11 were arrested as they attempted to hijack a commercial ship, Safmarine Asia. Four AK-47 rifles were found.