Nairobi - The world's long-term neglect of conflict-stricken Somalia has created the current boom in piracy in the Gulf of Aden, diplomats and UN officials said Wednesday as the second day of an international conference on piracy began in Nairobi.
"The Somali leadership ... and the international community have neglected Somalia," UN Special Representative for Somalia Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah said. "Piracy is one of the most important consequences of this neglect."
Over 140 delegates from 45 countries - including ambassadors, ministers and technical experts - have gathered in the Kenyan capital to look at how to increase cooperation in fighting Somali pirates, in particular the thorny legal aspects of the issue.