By NJUGUNA MUTONYA

Special Correspondent

Somalia, whose pirate-haunted international waters in the recent past had become every seafarer’s nightmare, has been readmitted into the Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa.

PMAESA, a regional ports network covering Africa’s eastern seaboard, recently held a two day African Ports and Maritime Conference in Victoria in Seychelles.

Somalia ’s application was tabled before the board by secretary-general Jerome Ntibarekerwa and was unanimously accepted by the members, representing over 20 member countries.

“The Somalia representative is present today to personally table his case before you, so that they can rejoin us hopefully, this will set a precedent for them to rejoin other regional and international bodies,” Mr Ntibarekerwa told the delegates.

The chairman of the ports association, Abdallah H. Mwaruwa, who is also the managing director of the Kenya Ports Authority, announced the return of Somalia to delegates during the plenary meeting, which also marked the end of the two day conference. All outstanding subscription dues owed by Somalia were waived to facilitate a smooth readmission.

In support, Tanzanian delegate Jason Ruhaiguruza, who is also the port of Dar es Salaam manager, said the recovery of Somalia and its ports was in the interest of the region.

“The improvement of operations in Somalia’s ports will ease the burden of growing traffic on the other regional ports, especially in the delivery of famine relief to the country. The country’s readmission should signal a revival of the country and its economy,” he said. He further noted that it was gratifying that Somalia now had its nationals and not international organizations representing it in international meetings.

Said Hassan Rage, the Somalia Ports Authority managing director, who represented the country, appealed to the international community to change its attitude towards the country, saying the security situation there had improved dramatically.

“As we talk now, there are 11 ships from international companies berthed at the Mogadishu port, eight in Kismayu and the others at Bosaso and Berbera. The hijacking of ships actually happens in international waters, which we have no control over, and we would like the international community to understand this,” said Mr Rage.

The conference brought together experts from around the world to discuss port congestion, HIV and Aids and maritime safety and security under the theme “African Ports towards African Union Integration.”

The second such conference will be held in Mombassa in late 2008.

The Port Management Association of Eastern and Southern Africa brings together over 20 ports in the Eastern and Southern African region and the Indian Ocean island nations of Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles and Reunion.

The delegates were drawn from all the major ports in the region, heads of continental trading blocs in Africa as well as international partners from around the world, among them the United States Coast Guards, USAid, port of Marseille, the Swedish Maritime Institute and Galilee College of Israel among others.

Source: The East African