Tag: Gulf of Guinea

The United Nations Secretary General's office launched the 'Activities of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel' report, focusing on Nigeria loosing approximately $2.8 billion during 2018, as a result of crude oil and maritime crimes. Maritime crime, including piracy, dominated in the coast of West Africa and posed a big threat to peace and development in the region.

A week after the abduction of six crew members from the container ship MSC Mandy off Benin, BIMCO stressed that piracy in the Gulf of Guinea is an unacceptable burden to seafarers and shipping companies and asked, on behalf of its members, that maritime powers increase their presence to curb piracy. 

According to the Russian Embassy in Benin, the location of Russians captured by pirates, on January 2, in Benin’s territorial waters in the Gulf of Guinea is unknown. As stated by the Embassy, representatives for the company noted that the kidnappers have not contacted yet. 

Pirates attacked the container ship MSC Mandy, on January 2, off Benin, West Africa, kidnapping six crewmembers. The vessel was sailing through the Gulf of Guinea when the attack took place. At the time of the attack, the ship had sailed from Togo and is currently anchored off Lagos.

All of the 11 crewmen, who were abducted by pirates from their container ship while sailing off the coast of Nigeria in October, are freed and are returning to their families, according to an official statement by Poland’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday. 

Denmark announced the upcoming priorities regarding the fight against piracy and other criminal activity at sea. The priorities contain civil and military efforts against piracy. The geographical focus remains in Western Africa and the Horn of Africa. ​From 2019 to 2022, the priorities in the fight against piracy and other maritime crimes will replace the current Government strategy of 2015-2018. 

Piracy and oil theft have significantly reduced in the Niger Delta, which is attributed to the constant patrol of naval personnel in the region, said Rear Adm. David Adeniran, the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Naval Command, Calabar, on the sideline of the fourth quarter exercise of the Nigerian Navy, Friday.

On 16 of November, EU NAVFOR Italian Warship Federico Martinengo visited the Port of Mombasa, in Kenya. There the ship's crew carried out the second combined exercise together with Kenyan Navy counterparts. During the exercise, EU NAVFOR’s crew showed techniques to the Kenyan Navy in firefighting, first aid and anti-flooding procedures.

The Gulf of Guinea is one of the regions that has the most issues with piracy. In order to address these problems, a workshop for participants from the Gulf of Guinea, was held in Ghana, from 13 to 16 November. The workshop aims to improve national capacity to advance port security.

Pirates attacked a Bermudian-registered LNG tanker on November 6, near Nigeria. The pirates opened fire at the ship, but it managed to escape by maneuvering. The Nigerian Navy is now investigating the source of the attack. No one was injured in the piracy attack.