The Tanzanian government has called on joint African Union force to combat piracy threat in the Indian Ocean waters against vessels to and from the east African coastline.

Mr Mizengo Pinda PM of Tanzania said that piracy on east African is not an issue for Tanzania or east African countries alone, but an international crisis which needs a combined force to fight and curb the situation in the Indian Ocean waters.

Mr Pinda said that, piracy was hampering businesses in many African countries and not Tanzania alone thus the threat should be addressed at the AU level so it could get more support. The premier made the remarks in Dar es Salaam during talks with a special envoy of the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs on Humanitarian Emergencies and Vulnerable Situations, Margherita Boniver.

He further said that piracy problem was a bigger one and needed all stakeholders to contribute to the safety of goods and services via the shortcut route to Europe in Suez Canal.

Last month, Mr Jakaya Kitwete president of Tanzania appealed to the Ms Hillary Clinton US secretary of state to assist the country by providing bigger capacity ships capable of plying the Indian ocean waters to fight against pirates who seize big oil vessels entering the country.

Tanzania is one of the countries most affected by piracy though the country’s defense and security organs have been trying to deal with the threat. Between March 2010 and April 2011, Tanzania arrested 11 Pirates who were operating in and near Tanzania’s territory and are still pending legal action.

Last year, Ugandan government also blamed shortage of fuel products in the country on piracy threat which was delaying importation of the products to reach port Mombasa in Kenya.

(Filed by Matsiko Mike Steelguru Uganda correspondent)