Tag: Gulf of Guinea

The Government of Nigeria and a coalition of global shipping stakeholders have launched a new strategy to end piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG).

While there has been a significant decline in piracy activity in the Gulf of Guinea, the Italian authorities increased the level of safety on board national ships at MARSEC 2 and undertook a training exercise testing readiness to respond to threats to merchant ships.

The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a text calling upon Member States in the Gulf of Guinea region to criminalize piracy and armed robbery at sea under their domestic laws, and to investigate, prosecute or extradite perpetrators of such crimes, as well as those who incite, finance or intentionally facilitate them.

On April 3 the Italian frigate Luigi Rizzo, engaged in the waters of the Gulf of Guinea, received notice of a pirate attack against the merchant Arch Gabriel, and took action to stop the pirates from continuing their activity.

Dryad Global indicates that a vessel has been boarded approximately 278nm South Lome, Togo.

The frigate Esbern Snare will end its deployment at the Gulf of Guinea due to the challenges facing European security.

The European Council extended implementation in the Gulf of Guinea for two years and established a new Maritime Area of Interest in the North-Western Indian Ocean. The Council approved the two sets of conclusions on the Coordinated Maritime Presences (CMP) concept.

Mr. Michael Howlett, Director, International Maritime Bureau, ICC Commercial Crime Services, outlines the key challenges with regards to maritime piracy, highlighting that crew kidnapping in GoG remains the biggest area of concern. Furthermore, considering that available resources to deal with maritime crime are limited, incident reporting remains critical.

International support for anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea by non-regional navies is growing, with BIMCO supporting the efforts committed to repress piracy in the region.

The European Union (EU) aims to continue the deployment of its member states' warships in the Gulf of Guinea to address maritime piracy in the area.