The spokesman for the coalition, Brigadier General Turki Al-Maliki, said that the kidnapping and armed robbery of the cargo ship “Rawabi” on Sunday evening off the coast of Hodeidah was “a proven criminal act planned by the Iranian-backed terrorist Houthi militia, intercepting the ship’s path in international waters and taking it by force to the Salif port.” .
Al-Maliki explained that “the implementation of the piracy and kidnapping operation was launched from the port of Hodeidah to intercept the commercial ship in the international sea lane, which is a flagrant violation of the principles of international humanitarian law and the relevant laws of the sea, considering that (Rawabi) a commercial ship carrying field equipment and supplies for the operation of the Saudi field hospital on the island.” Socotra after the end of his humanitarian mission, which contributed to providing health care and medical services to thousands of Yemenis on the island.
The spokesman added that “the texts and provisions of international humanitarian law and (San Remo Guide) for international law in armed conflicts at sea and United Nations conventions guarantee freedom of maritime navigation and global trade in waterways and seas, and do not provide protection for pirates or provide a safe haven for them, given such terrorist acts. undermining the security of waterways and a direct threat to maritime navigation and global trade.”
Al-Maliki also said that “this dangerous criminal act is contrary to the spirit and provisions of the Stockholm Agreement of 2018, especially what was included in the second clause of the pledges and the second clause of the agreement, related to the city of Hodeidah and the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa, and the Houthi terrorist militia’s continuation of all kinds of violations that exceeded 30,527 violations.” deliberately.”
Al-Maliki stressed that “the Iranian-backed terrorist Houthi militia must release the ship (Rawabi) from the Salif port with its full cargo of a humanitarian, non-combat nature, and in the event of non-compliance, the ports of launch and harboring the piracy, kidnapping, armed robbery and marine piracy elements that occurred will make them military targets. legitimate in accordance with the provisions and provisions of international humanitarian law and the relevant laws of the sea.
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