Following the kidnap of 20 crewmembers from MV Duke off the coast of Benin, ISWAN and ICMA (the International Christian Maritime Association) partner to express their concerns about the wellbeing and safety of seafarers who sail the “notorious and dangerous waters of the Gulf of Guinea“.
Specifically, Roger Harris, Executive Director of ISWAN and the Revd Canon Andrew Wright, Chairman of ICMA, both call the government to collaborate in efforts to solve the challenging situation in the Gulf, and make sure that the seafarers sailing in these waters are safe, including those working on offshore vessels and oil rigs.
It is our hope that all parties will work together to break up the gangs working in the area and that those responsible for such criminal acts will be brought to justice
… they both highlighted.
They both added that seafarers are worried – with stress affecting their work levels – when working in these areas, while the possibility of an attack overwhelms the seafarers.
Overall, the situation in the Gulf of Guinea remains challenging, as IMB’s report, launched in October, addressed that 119 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported against ships for 2019, in comparison to the 156 incidents that were reported in the same period in 2018, with the Gulf of Guinea remaining a high risk area for piracy and armed robbery.
Specifically, Pottengal Mukundan, Director, ICC IMB commented
… the Gulf of Guinea continues to be a concern for piracy and armed robbery-related activities with kidnappings of crew members increasing in both scale and frequency.
Moreover, ICMA and ISWAN operatives in the region are closely cooperating to support seafarers suffering from pirate attack, being always close to those traumatised by such incidents.
