Global Security, Privacy, & Risk Management

Egypt States Position on Armed Guards and Weapons February 22, 2012

UK P&I Club released a bulletin that outlines Egypt’s position on armed guards and weapons within Egypt and its waters.  Below are the salient points of the letter received from the Egyptian Government:

“1) The Egyptian Government forbids the presence of any Weapons / Armed Guards on
board of commercial vessels as per the rules and regulations of the International Maritime Organization.

2)  In case of the presence of weapons on board commercial vessels calling at Egyptian
ports, the Masters shall lock the weapons in a safe compartment on board and issue a
certificate stating these weapons and delivering it to the pilot in waiting area, the certificate shall include a confirmation from the Master that weapons will be delivered to Port Police Forces once berthed to be locked after being inspected by the police forces and to be returned back to vessel before departing the port.

3)  In case of not adopting the above regulations, the vessel will not be permitted to enter the port.

4)  In case of vessels transiting the Suez Canal, the Port Police Forces will be receiving the
weapons from the transiting vessels at points of entrance inland and will be returned back to the vessel at point of departure.

5)    In case of presence of weapons on board vessels in territorial waters or in ports in
waiting areas or during transit of the Suez Canal, the Master and crew will be in violation of the Egyptian Laws under which the vessel will be under arrest together with the Master and crew and the persons holding the weapons without permits and the law number 394 of the year 1954 and its amendments will be applied. This violation will be attended by the General Prosecutor where a Police Verbal Process will be issued accordingly.

Please apply these regulations provided by Ministry of Defence accurately and notify all shipping companies and agencies and all Masters of vessels calling at Egyptian Ports.”

It looks like the Egyptian issues is not clarified.  Previously, several maritime security companies had made claims of being able to store, and transfer weapons in and through Egypt. As can be seen above, Egypt is taking a hard line stance on security and weapons.