Aboul Gheit condemns hijacking of oil tanker carrying Egyptian sailors

Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, strongly condemned the hijacking of an oil tanker carrying eight Egyptian sailors, in addition to crew members of other nationalities, while navigating Yemeni territorial waters off the coast of Yemen’s Shabwa Governorate, and its forcible seizure and transfer into Somali territorial waters, in a flagrant violation of international law, including the Law of the Sea and the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council.

Mr. Aboul Gheit stressed the imperative of the immediate and unconditional release of all abducted sailors, ensuring their safety, and securing effective cooperation among all concerned parties.

Gamal Roshdy, the official spokesperson for the Secretary-General, conveyed the Secretary-General’s full solidarity with the Arab Republic of Egypt and with all the abducted sailors, while commending the Egyptian diplomatic efforts aimed at securing their release and guaranteeing their safety.

He further affirmed that the security of maritime navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden constitutes an integral part of Arab national security, and that any threat thereto undermines the interests of all Arab states.