During her port visit to Mombasa on the 11th April, EU NAVFOR warship FS GUEPRATTE welcomed a Kenyan delegation on board. This visit was organized by the UN Office for Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) who are deeply involved in the pirates transfer agreement process with East Africa, Seychelles and now Mauritius.
The UNODC finances judicial establishments and courtrooms in Mombasa, as well as jails in Somaliland and Puntland. The delegation was represented by the Crime Investigation Department regional head as well as some home department and department of justice local representatives. They were accompanied by a British instructor from the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA) mandated by the UNODC.
The aim of this day was to highlight the key points of a suspected pirate transfer from an EU NAVFOR French navy unit to Kenyan authorities, in order to provide a fully legal, precise and indisputable dossier.
The Kenyan delegation arrived on board in the morning and attended the operation officer and legal adviser conference. They described the chronology of a suspected pirate apprehension operation and the evidence process until their transfer to foreign authorities, such as Kenya.
After the meeting, the delegation had a tour of FS GUEPRATTE including the main operational areas, and observed a simulated detention.
It became apparent that they could assist in the following areas.
- security check,
- medical examination,
- suspected pirates administrative registration,
- evidences and property treatment, statement of findings and seizures,
- moving to detention room,
- safety measures.
To conclude the morning, the Kenyan delegation described the Kenyan procedures and more precisely the evidence management expected from any Navy looking for a Kenyan prosecution.
This meeting was very interesting for all the attendants: on the one hand, Kenyan representatives could discover the operational constraints related to a police operation lead by a warship in a maritime environment. On the other, French seafarers could learn about the Kenyan legal system constraints and what to do to facilitate judicial work.
The day further enhanced the increased co-operation between EU NAVFOR and regional agencies.