Saudi Signs Up

Saudi Arabia has joined other States in the region in endorsing the Djibouti code of conduct aimed at fighting piracy and armed robbery in the western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.

The Council of Ministers, chaired by Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, approved the code on the recommendation of Transport Minister Jabara Al-Seraisry and the Shoura Council, the Saudi Press Agency said.

The Djibouti code of conduct, which was passed during a meeting of the International Maritime Organization on Jan. 29, 2009, calls for the arrest, and prosecution of persons who have committed or are suspected of piracy.

The governments that are signatories to the code should seize pirate ships or aircraft and the property on board, as well as rescue ships and persons held by pirates. It also defines the acts of piracy and armed robbery.