The Monjasa tanker, which was hijacked by pirates six days ago, was found and secured yesterday off Sao Tome and Principe, but some crewmates have been kidnapped.
Pirates had boarded the 13,700-dwt goods carrier Monjasa Reformer on Saturday night 260 kilometers off the coast of Pointe Noir, Republic of the Congo. According to the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG) corporation center, the vessel was boarded by 5 armed persons who approached from a skiff.
MDAT-GoG reported that the 13,700-dwt product carrier was discovered 91 nautical miles offshore on Thursday night. The rescued crew members are all in good health and are getting the care they need in a safe setting, as Monjasa corporation asserted. No known damage to the ship or its cargo occurred.
According to the most recent IMB Piracy report, piracy incidents in the Gulf of Guinea have decreased. IMB, however, advised regional cooperators to continue their efforts to maintain maritime security in the region.
Following this incident, ECSA issued a statement to highlight that this recent attack on Danish-owned vessel calls for for continued and coordinated efforts by regional and international actors
Following a relatively stable period in the area, this incident shows that piracy off the coast of West Africa remains a serious threat to the safety of our seafarers and the security of international shipping lanes. It is crucial that our seafarers can perform their work safely and without fear.
…ECSA said, adding that the European shipowners continue to fully support the EU’s efforts to fight piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, including the EU’s Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP) mechanism launched in January 2021, which seeks to improve coordination of EU Member State assets in the region.
While shipowners continue to play their role to mitigate the risk, governments and EU actions remain crucial through the deployment of adequate naval assets, capacity building and support to the Yaoundé Architecture.
…ECSA added.
