The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has issued a call for the release of ten seafarers from India and Romania who were kidnapped by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea earlier this month.
On March 17, a merchant tanker was boarded by three armed individuals near São Tomé and Príncipe, specifically 40 nautical miles southeast of Santo Antonio. The Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG) reported that shots were fired during the incident.
Fabrizio Barcellona, the ITF Seafarers’ Section Coordinator, expressed that the situation was desperate, with ten seafarers kidnapped, their crewmates threatened with execution, and their families pleading for help. He emphasized the hope that the seafarers would be brought home as soon as possible, urging all relevant governments and international agencies to do everything they could to ensure this happened.
He also stressed the importance of government action to prevent piracy, highlighting that the Gulf of Guinea was known to be a hotbed for such activity. Barcellona pointed out that it would be reassuring if West African states reaffirmed their commitment to combating piracy through joint patrols and coordinated naval operations. He warned that without such coordinated efforts, piracy would likely increase, and innocent seafarers would be the ones to suffer the consequences.
10 seafarers from India and Romania have been kidnapped by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea.
ITF calls on West African states to commit to stopping piracy by carrying out more patrols and naval operations.
Innocent seafarers must not pay the price for inaction.
— International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) (@ITFglobalunion) March 26, 2025
