Following the release of US Maritime Administration (MARAD) revised advisory (2021-009) in early September, vessels are reminded of the need for vigilance, after two Houthi Waterborne IED vessels were destroyed in the southern Red Sea in the vicinity of As-Salif.
Namely, heightened regional conflict, military activity and political tensions pose a threat to vessels operating in these regions, says Dryad Global.
Furthermore, in Libya, a vote of no-confidence in the Unity Government is the most recent escalation of political tensions. General Haftar, Libya’s eastern based putschist is expected to announce his candidacy for president, as he appointed his chief of staff his temporary replacement.
Moreover, bilateral cooperation continues within the Gulf of Guinea with Nigeria and Denmark reaffirming their commitment to combatting piracy alongside and agreement between Gabon and France to cooperate on Maritime security issues. These agreements were set against the backdrop of a warning of increased piracy risk throughout zone E. Meanwhile, the AFRICOM commander visited Togo, Benin,
Ghana, and Ivory Coast also announced a cooperation between the two, in order to improve security across the region.
Finally, Drya notes that in the context of last month HRA boundary reduction, East African coastal states are being warned against complacency. Indian Ocean states have also been encouraged to increase their maritime security capacity, involving even non-traditional security threats such as IUU fishing.
