Global action forcing pirates to Indian Ocean: Ban

I / United Nations November 17, 2009, 10:15 IST

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said intensified international action to tackle ship seizures off the Somali coast is forcing pirates further afield into the Indian Ocean and more recently closer to the Seychelles.

In a report to the UN Security Council, Ban said the expanding international maritime presence is playing a critical role in stabilising the situation at sea.

He said in the report circulated yesterday that the deployment of naval ships and military aircraft as well as improved efforts by ships transiting the area to protect themselves have considerably reduced the number of successful incidents of piracy and armed robbery, especially in the Gulf of Aden.