Wednesday 11,Dec 2024 {HMC}  Maritime security and regional stability were under the microscope at the 7th high level meeting on implementation of the Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC).

The three-day November meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, (28-30 November) focused on the western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden as set out in the DCoC and seen as regions “vital” to global trade and regional stability, according to a Kenya Ministry of Defence statement.

The DCoC mandate is to “repress piracy and armed robbery against ships” and was adopted in January 2009 by Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Seychelles, Somalia, Tanzania and Yemen. Comoros, Egypt, Eritrea, Jordan, Mauritius, Mozambique, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed soon after bringing the total to 20 countries from the 21 eligible to sign. In 2017 its scope was broadened with the inclusion of the Jeddah Amendment which sees DCoC signatories adding human trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and other illicit maritime activities to the action list.

A key agenda item in Dar es Salaam was development of a regional maritime security strategy (RMSS) to address emerging issues, including illegal fishing and human trafficking, the Kenya Ministry of Defence reports. During the meeting Kenya advocated for establishing national maritime information sharing centres (NMISCs) and emphasised the importance of regional capacity building initiatives to improve maritime domain awareness and operational coordination.

Discussions further included updates on the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea security dynamics, highlighting terrorism, oil spillage and other maritime threats.

As a signatory to the DCoC and its Jeddah Amendment, Kenya reaffirmed its commitment to fostering regional maritime security. Its active participation underscored a commitment to shaping a secure maritime environment in the Horn of Africa, enhancing regional co-operation and safeguarding global trade.

On behalf of his country Brigadier Sankale Kiswaa, Kenya Navy (KN) Deputy Commander, heads the DCoC sub-working group on illegal trade in wildlife. This aligns with the broader Kenyan strategy to combat transnational crimes impacting national, maritime and environmental security.

The European Union (EU) participated for the first time as a ‘Friend’ (observer) in the High-Level Meeting of the Djibouti Code of Conduct-Jeddah Amendment (DCOC-JA) in Dar es Salaam.

The EU became a Friend of the DCOC-JA in April 2024, reaffirming its commitment to supporting regional efforts to build a robust maritime security architecture, the EU said in a statement.

The EU highlighted its growing engagement in maritime security, presenting several key initiatives during the meeting. These include Operation ATALANTA, the EU’s naval operation countering piracy; Operation ASPIDES, focused on safe navigation in the Red Sea; and the EUCAP Somalia capacity-building mission.

The EU also promotes maritime security through its Safe Seas for Africa, Port Security and Safety of Navigation, and Red Sea programmes, as well as through CRIMARIO II, a capacity-building project enhancing maritime domain awareness.

“A safe and secure maritime environment is in everybody’s interest. Only through regional collaboration can we collectively meet today’s maritime challenges,” said Christine Grau, EU Ambassador to Tanzania. “The EU is committed to supporting this region’s efforts to monitor, secure, and sustainably develop its maritime domain.”

The EU’s financial contributions to regional maritime security exceed €80 million annually, supporting capacity building, training, and regional initiatives. During the meeting, the EU announced plans for a new €4 million project to address maritime threats and advance the DCOC-JA’s eight-point action plan. Participants praised the EU’s role in promoting information-sharing and coordination through CRIMARIO II’s IORIS platform, which enables secure, multi-agency cooperation across the region.

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