Southern African Countries Sign Maritime Rescue Agreement

A new agreement aimed at better coordinating maritime rescues on the high seas off southern Africa was signed in Cape Town, South Africa. The document established Cape Town as a hub for maritime rescue in the oceans around South Africa, the Comores, Madagascar, Mozambique, Angola and Namibia, reports said. The last two countries were not present at Tuesday's signing ceremony, but are expected to sign later this month. Cape Town's existing Maritime Rescue Coordinating Center (MRCC) is to assume responsibility for the southern African region, and has recently been refurbished in anticipation of its new mandate. Maritime rescue centers have been established by various countries and regions around the world in terms of international agreements monitored by the International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency concerned with the safety of shipping and cleaner oceans. Source: Xinhua