Kenya Inks Amendment to Maritime Piracy Deal

zoomIllustration; Image Courtesy: Eunavfor Kenya has become the 13th signatory to the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct, the regional maritime piracy agreement, according to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Developed and adopted by countries in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden, the Djibouti Code of Conduct has been a key factor in repressing piracy and armed robbery against ships operating in that region. The Amendment broadened the scope of the Djibouti Code when it was adopted at a high-level meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in January 2017. It covers measures for suppressing a range of illicit activities, including piracy, arms trafficking, trafficking in narcotics, illegal trade in wildlife, illegal oil bunkering, crude oil theft, human trafficking, human smuggling, and illegal dumping of toxic waste. Other countries which signed the Amendment include Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Jordan, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen.