NAIROBI, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The United States has refuted reports that it has agreed to patrol Somali coastal waters in an effort to combat piracy off the lawless Horn of Africa nation.
A statement from U.S. State Department received here Friday played down remarks by Somalia's Prime Minister Ali Mohammed Gedi that he had secured agreement for the U.S. Navy to patrol one of the world's most dangerous waters.
Gedi had told lawmakers in the southwestern town of Baidoa that he agreed the deal on Sunday with the U.S. ambassador to Kenya.
But the U.S. State Department said discussions had taken place about possible cooperation to fight piracy, but there had been no deal.
"The State Department has not negotiated any such contracts or agreements," the U.S. State Department said in the statement.
"As part of an on-going dialogue to support the re-establishment of governance in Somalia, we have held diplomatic discussions with representatives from the Transitional Federal Government concerning a number of areas of possible cooperation, including anti-piracy efforts," it said.
Gedi had told lawmakers that the U.S. Navy vessels would also help the transitional government set up a coast guard to secure Somalia's rudimentary 1,000-kilometer coastline.
The U.S. Navy has recently seized pirates in international waters but has been unable to pursue them close to shore.
The lawless Horn of African nation has had no coast guard or navy since warlords ousted the dictator in 1991 and then turned on each other, carving the nation of an estimated 8 million people into a patchwork of anarchic clan-based fiefdoms.
Hijackings and piracy have surged in the past year as armed groups take advantage of a lack of law and order in the country.
The State Department said U.S. forces were generally active in the Horn of Africa region, conducting counter-terrorism operations and battling pirates.
Early this month, pirates who seized a South Korean fishing vessel and its 25 crew were able to escape from U.S. and Dutch navy vessels by entering Somali waters.
The Korean vessel and crew are still being held. Two other vessels are being held by pirates in Somalia's central region, including a United Arab Emirates-registered oil tanker.
The Korean vessel was licensed by the transitional government to fish in Somali waters, but the administration is incapable of securing the coastline, according to Somali authorities.
The International Maritime Bureau has recorded 41 attacks since mid-March last year.
In November last year, Somalia's transitional government signed a two-year 50 million dollar contract with U.S. Company Topcat Marine Security to help fight piracy but the work is yet to begin.Enditem
Editor: Lu Hui