This week, EU NAVFOR provided her support during a training course on Maritime Law Enforcement on counter-piracy organized by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in Djibouti for representatives of “Djibouti Code of Conduct” States.
The legal aspects of counter-piracy presented during this course by legal experts from the IMO and EU NAVFOR aimed to help the signatories States of “Djibouti Code of Conduct” to examine the legal mechanism of maritime law-enforcement.
The “Djibouti Code of Conduct concerning the Repression of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden” (Djibouti Code of Conduct) is an agreement to which regional states have signed up on 29 January 2009, stating their intention to take specific steps to tackle piracy.
Participants to this training course counted representatives from Djibouti, Comoros, Ethiopia, Kenya, Jordan, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania and Yemen.
In addition to legal briefings, EU NAVFOR organized a visit of the EU NAVFOR Dutch ship HNLMS AMSTERDAM for the participants, in order to provide them with the practical background of counter-piracy operations.
The representatives of “Djibouti Code of Conduct” signatories were presented the anti piracy assets, such as the on-board helicopter and the RHIB’s, used for speedy action to intercept and board vessels when required. During the tour, a presentation was also given by the boarding team from the Royal Netherlands Marines. In addition, the delegation viewed the Temporary Holding Facility, which can be used to temporarily detain suspects of piracy apprehended at sea.
Since the beginning of the operation in December 2008, 92 pirates have been arrested by EUNAVFOR, among which 79 transferred to Kenya for prosecution, 11 to Seychelles and 2 to Spain.
On 1st October 2010, Eric van der Linden, EU Head of Delegation stated that "while EUNAVFOR and other naval forces continue to deter and interrupt piracy at the high seas, countries in the region should also take their responsibility to secure the East African coast".
EU NAVFOR welcomes the success of this course and will continue to support the initiatives fostering the coordination among the regional states.