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← Older posts Newer posts →Somali Copycats off West Africa
The hijacking of a combined chemical and oil tanker off Benin last week has raised concerns that Somali tactics are being copied off West Africa.
Some items were taken from the Liberia-flagged Zouzou but no crew members were harmed in the attack and the robbers left the vessel. However, this is one of the first reported incidents of pirates in the Gulf of Guinea using a mothership and skiffs, according to Gary Li, head of marine and aviation at London intelligence company Exclusive Analysis.
“I have heard of only two reports which have been similar but this is the clearest indication that pirates in this area are mimicking Somali tactics and landing skiffs,” he said. “They hijacked the vessel and stole the cargo but did not take any crew members hostage as this is not really a trend in the Gulf of Guinea.”
The 2010-built, 50,651 dwt Zouzou sent a distress call after being attacked by pirates early yesterday. A couple of minutes later it called mayday and reported that it was under attack by approximately 12 armed pirates.
Piracy in the region is not new. The London insurance market highlighted it as a risk last August and adjusted premiums accordingly. However, up to this point, pirate activity has been thought to be distinct from what has been common in the Gulf of Aden.
If pirates in the Gulf of Guinea continue to copy Somali tactics, this could force shipowners and governments to call for more security in the area. There is no international security effort in the Gulf of Guinea, which was named a high risk area by the International Bargaining Forum this week. Maritime security in the area is undertaken by regional navies but Mr Li said that they are “totally incapable of handling the situation”.
He added: “The UN pushed for action, but the problem is that in this instance it is not dealing with a failed state and there is no vacuum.
“The Gulf of Guinea straddles several coastlines and therefore a significant amount of co-operation between states is needed. Currently the effort is overly reliant on Nigeria, but it can’t possibly patrol an area that large.”
Matthew Lamb, deputy director of Control Risks Group, which operates in the region, said: “One of the major issues is the security forces of these countries. Mostly this would fall to navies that are under-funded, under-resourced and poorly trained.
“They would find it very difficult to respond to a ship’s distress call at all, let alone immediately, unless they happened to have a ship in the area. This is certainly a contributory factor in the amount of maritime crime that we see in the Gulf of Guinea.”
~Source: www.maritimesecurity.asiaPosted in Latest News |
Piracy – Paying for Lives
In the last four or five years we have seen an astonishing resurgence of piracy, initially off the horn of Africa and later widely into the Indian Ocean, The Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Hormuz (one of the world’s most important waterways, for obvious reasons) and the Red Sea. But this does not mark the resurgence of modern piracy. As long ago as 1983 the Government of Sweden had lobbied the Maritime Security Committee of IMO to take due account of the fact that piracy, thought to be virtually eradicated at the end of the 19th Century, was becoming a serious concern, and seeking concerted action. Piracy off Somalia is admittedly different in scale and in character, in particular in the hijacking of crews, vessels and cargoes in exchange for ransom; rather than the attacking of vessels in waterways, ports and harbours, harming and kidnapping people, stealing goods and sometimes cargoes.
It is this characteristic change (coupled with the scale of the losses) which is the driving logic behind the transfer of piracy (with barratry and violent theft) from hull to war policies, where it now sits more coherently with the perils of man rather than the perils of nature. Further we have all seen the duration of detentions and the scale of ransoms increase; this much is in the public domain. However, while the problem is still there, it is arguably less acute. The naval involvement of multiple states, the operation of convoys in the Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor and the progressively widespread adoption and refinement of Best Management Practice (edition 4 August 2011) have each done their bit to reduce the success and perhaps the incidence of attack by pirates (for example by vessel hardening and piracy preparedness procedures). This much seems to be borne out by information on takings since last August.
There also appears to be an emerging (though by no means uniform) consensus that certain vessels (depending on a security assessment) going through the Area of Enhanced Risk should engage armed guards, either private guards or the military of flag states (such as the Netherlands and Italy who have both passed laws permitting the use of their military, though obviously at a cost). No vessel equipped with armed guards has been taken, it is said; a fairly compelling statistic. But some vessels will still be taken. The navies simply cannot police the entire AER. What then of vessels that are taken, and most particularly their officers and crew? How should they be recovered? There does seem to be some evidence that military interdiction is effective, perhaps highly effective during attack by pirates, especially when crew are all safely ensconced in a safe muster point or “citadel” (Samho Jewelry, Montecristo). But there are many vessels detained off Somalia, anchored in Somali waters. Some have been held there for well over a year; indeed for more than two years (Shiuh Fu No.1, Orna, Albedo and Icebergrespectively detained between about 450 and 730 days). And the crew of one vessel, the Leopard, have been detained for nearly 400 days, albeit their vessel has been released or recovered. No one appears to be seriously suggesting that these detained vessels, effectively secured by pirates, should be routinely recovered by military assault. Whilst there may be some spectacular successes to identify, especially on land (for example the NGOs recently recovered by navy SEALs in Somalia), the reality is that military assault costs lives and might cost many lives indeed; not only those of the hijackers, but also of their innocent victims.
The special services of certain nations have demonstrated the courage and willingness to engage in such security assaults. But the catalogue of casualties is there to see. Working Group 5 (of the Contact Group for Piracy off Coast of Somalia) is currently working on plans, with relevant authorities and state representatives, with some consultation with industry bodies, to coordinate action to identify, interrupt and perhaps recover “illicit funds” (the proceeds of ransom); the target is, but not uniquely, to identify and convict those who mastermind and finance piracy, not particularly their “foot soldiers” (though they should certainly not feel exempt; they are under the gimlet eye of campaigning prosecutors who are rightly intent on bringing them to book). The prosecution of criminals is a laudable objective; though one could ask how this meets with the practice hitherto to “capture and release” pirates. It is a short (though by no means an easy) step from tracking the “illicit funds” to prohibiting the payment of ransom.
The “initiative” most recently announced by the British Government with this expressed aim is out of step with a broad international consensus, most especially in the maritime industry. Realistically there is no real, safe alternative to the payment of ransom and indeed such payments have been made for decades and will no doubt continue to be made in a whole variety of circumstances around the globe, in places wholly unrelated to maritime piracy (as anyone with familiarity with certain locations in West Africa will know). Is maritime piracy to be the exception? And if so why? The Indian Ocean is a vital highway for goods. Somewhere between 25,000 and 30,000 transits a year go east and west through those waters. It is essential that it remains open. In order that it should vessels must be willing to go through and crews must be willing to serve on board such vessels. Arguably the risk for crew has somewhat diminished, for the reasons given. But at present such crew, owners and operators do so in the knowledge that the statistical chance of hijacking is low, very low if there are armed guards. But if they are very unfortunate and detained by pirates then they have the confidence that their release will be secured ultimately by the payment of ransom; that there are individuals with the skill and knowledge to extract them safely, monies are available and insurance coverage is in place.
It is said that somewhere in the region of 2,700 seafarers have thus far been detained by pirates off Somalia or in the Indian Ocean or elsewhere in the AER, about 70 % of who, it is also said, have chosen never to go back to sea (with the loss of their livelihood and impact on their families). One would think that, if this figure is correct, the percentage of those willing to go back to sea will decline as the average duration of detention lengthens and the risk of physical abuse increases. This is in some senses a major the hidden cost of piracy; and many in the industry are utterly baffled that the appalling plight of seafarers on the one hand is relatively invisible in the Press in contrast say to the plight of the Chilean miners trapped under ground, which featured daily at the top of news bulletins until their release.
Contrast their experience with the seafarers: they were not held in terrorem for months, in fear for their lives, their families were not to suffer the psychological ordeal of wondering if their father, their husband or brother would be killed or injured on whim. Who then would wish to go to sea if ransom for detainment at sea were, uniquely, to be prohibited, or if owners or operators were to be threatened with prosecution for payment of ransom? Few, one imagines. And if they did, one can imagine the consequences.
Source: Rhys Clift, Hill-Dickinson LLPPosted in Latest News |
23/03/2012: EUNAVFOR Counter-Piracy Mandate Extended
On 23 March 2012 the Council prolonged the EU’s counter-piracy operation Atalanta by two more years, that is until December 2014. The main tasks of the mission are the protection of vessels of the World Food Programme delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia and the fight against piracy off the Somali coast.
Today’s decision also extended the force’s area of operations to include Somali coastal territory as well as its territorial and internal waters. This is to enable Operation Atalanta to work directly with the Transitional Federal Government and other Somali entities to support their fight against piracy from the coastal area. In accordance with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the Somali government has notified the UN Secretary General of its acceptance of the EU’s offer for this new collaboration.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said: “Fighting piracy and its root causes is a priority of our action in the Horn of Africa. Operation Atalanta has made a significant contribution to this effort, in co-ordination with our international partners. Today’s important decision extends Atalanta’s mandate for two more years and allows it to take more robust action on the Somali coast. Despite pressure on defence budgets, EU member states thereby demonstrate their renewed commitment to this successful operation.”
A budget of EUR 14.9 million is provided for the common costs of the prolonged mandate.
Operation Atalanta is part of the EU’s comprehensive approach tackling the symptoms and root causes of piracy in the Horn of Africa and of the EU strategic framework for that region adopted in November 2011. Its headquarters are in Northwood (United Kingdom) and, since August 2011, Rear Admiral Duncan Potts of the UK Royal Navy has been Operation Commander.
Source: Council of the European UnionPosted in Latest News |
26/03/2012: Pirates Snatch Iranian Bulker
Pirates have hijacked an Iranian bulk carrier a huge distance from the Somali coastline.
A gang snatched the 63,400-dwt Eglantine (built 2000) today right at the eastern edge of the region covered by anti-piracy naval forces in the Indian Ocean, TradeWinds has learned.
A crew of 23 are understood to be on board the vessel however, their nationalities are unclear at this stage.
Sources suggest the vessel is carrying a cargo of sugar which it loaded in Rio de Janeiro.
While the hit at position 07 00 N 069 49 E is closer to India than Somalia, experts note pirates have previously operated successfully in the area.
“It is safe to say it is not usual, but we have seen it happen before,” a source told TradeWinds.
Hafiz Darya Shipping Co of Tehran is the owner of the ship.
Source: Tradewinds 26/03/2012Posted in Latest News, Piracy Attacks |
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Posted in Piracy Attacks |
Nigerians Confirm Capture
Nigerian militants have offered to negotiate the release of three seafarers taken from a Dutch reefer on Tuesday.
Master Pikus Viktor and chief engineer Melnikov Slava, both from Russia, and crew member Frederick Villamor of the Philipines were snatched from the 273,600-cbf Curacao-flaggedBreiz Klipper (built 1991) off Port Harcourt.
All three are said to be in good health.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it was in touch with the kidnappers who have offered to hand them over.
The group said they were considering the proposal as the vessel was not involved in the country’s oil industry.
Dutch owner Seatrade said it was trying to verify reports of the seafarers wellbeing.
It added that the Breiz Klipper has arrived in the port of Tema, Ghana with the remaining crewmembers onboard.
Simultaneously MEND fired a warning to masters of oil industry vessels that attempt to prevent its fighters from boarding their vessels.
“We will launch rockets at the bridge and other parts of the superstructure of such uncooperative vessels, and ensure such vessels are set alight, when we eventually board,” it said in a release.
On the MEND?
The militant group has become more vocal in the past few weeks since South Africa agreed to put two of its former leaders on trial.
Brothers Henry and Charles Okah are both charged with complicity in the Independence Day bombings in Abuja on 1 October 2010.
Norwegian risk analysis firm Bergen Risk Solutions (BRS) says a rise in MEND activity would be more ominous for oil and gas companies than for the conventional shipping industry.
BRS said: ”The recent MEND statement(s) are mostly posturing aimed at releasing Henry and Charles Okah from jail.
”It is significant – and of concern – that the group’s spokesperson apparently has (re) established links with groups capable of carrying out attacks in the Niger Delta.
”Should this capability be exploited it is the oil and gas service sector that has most to fear, not general shipping.”
However there has been a recent spate of attacks against ships in Nigerian waters.
Just two weeks ago pirates gunned down a captain and chief engineer of a vessel off the coast of Nigeria
Posted in Piracy Attacks |
Nigeria – MEND
Recent attacks on security personnel by the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) may have worsened Nigeria’s rating on the handling of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea even as a United Nations report has compared pirate attacks off Nigerian coast as close to that of Somali pirates.
The attacks which claimed the lives of senior military and police personnel came few days after a group of pirates hijacked a crew of Russian ship in the Gulf of Guinea even as MEND has directly threatened to attack any ship that refuses to allow its men to board it. The two incidents came at a bad time for the Nigerian Navy which in the last one week had been conducting a nine-nation naval exercise in the Gulf of Guinea involving American, European and several African nations.
The Gulf of Guinea, a rich oil region, has Nigeria, Cameroon, Angola, Equtorial Guinea, Benin, Togo and others as contiguous nations.
Maritime security reports had noted that in terms of the danger of piracy, Nigeria is on the second place in the world after Somalia with a total of fifty-eight pirate attacks on ships off Nigeria’s coast in 2011.
“The real problem is the powerful transnational mafia financing the pirate network and facilitating their nefarious activities. This mafia passes on authoritative information such as names of ships, the course they will take, value of cargo and extent of insurance cover to local criminal groups,” a security briefing report recently noted.
While MEND has not been directly linked with piracy operations, its recent warning to ships off Nigerian coast is said to have confirmed earlier reports of links between pirate gangs and some segments of Niger Delta militants.
International oil companies in Nigerian had recently alerted the nation to the high rate of crude oil theft in the Niger Delta with one of the company declaring that Nigeria is losing as much as 150,000 barrels of crude oil on daily basis.
Findings also showed that there are fears among maritime operators that MEND may internationalise its terror attacks based on its new premise of attacking both Nigerian and South African targets
Already, there is widespread belief within the maritime security sector that pirates are motivated by the increasing costs of petroleum in Nigeria with a London based club of ship owners differentiating Nigerian pirates from their Somali counterparts based on impatience with prolonged ransom negotiations.
The development is creating ripples in some Western capitals which depend on Nigeria and other Gulf oil nations as there are fears that uncontained piracy may led to further hike in oil prices
The United States, which currently relies on the Gulf of Guinea for fifteen per cent of its oil imports and whose reliance could increase to twenty per cent over the next five years, is eager to secure the supply route of the Gulf of Guinea.
A security brief from the new Africa Command indicated that the US military has begun joint training exercises with West African navies to “enhance regional and maritime security and safety by assisting African nations in developing proficiencies in areas such as maritime interdiction operations, search and rescue operations, counter-terrorism, and overfishing of African waters.”
To avoid fears over the establishment of American base on Nigerian soil, the joint training is held aboard US Navy ships, allowing the US to maintain a military presence in Africa, called an “Africa Partnership Station,” which was described as “more of a concept than a platform, and does not include a specific ship, unit, or aircraft.”
“Since APS is typically based aboard a ship, it does not leave a permanent footprint in Africa,” says an AFRICOM briefing paper, adding that “the ship functions as a mobile university, moving from port to port, fostering long-term relationships between the United States and international partners.”
Worried by the worsening situation in the Gulf of Guinea, the United Nations Security Council has also resolved to organise an international conference to fashion ways and means of containing the piracy menace.
Rising from its meeting this week, the UN released the report of its assessment mission which found that “the consequences of inaction could be catastrophic, especially for oil-producing countries that are frequently targeted for their high value petroleum assets.
The report noted that some countries expressed concern that some of the pirate attacks might also have political motivations, noting that “while some states had already responded at the highest level, the phenomenon caught most unprepared and national capacities are limited.”
Similarly, the mission found that the collective anti-piracy architecture deployed over the past three years is commendable but limited, citing the joint marine patrols by Nigeria and Benin as model for inter-state cooperation, but a temporary solution.
Posted in Piracy Attacks |
28/02/2012: 1200Z: Pos 1501N 05456E – Vessel Attacked
Report of a vessel attacked in Posn 1501N 05456E (approximately 130nm SSE Salalah) at approximately 1200Z 28 Feb 12.
Vessels are advised to exercise extreme caution when transiting this area.
Posted in Alerts, Piracy Attacks |
**VESSEL SEIZED 28/02/2012**
Armed pirates seized a fishing dhow approximately 145nm North of Socotra island, in position 15:01N – 054:56E at around 1206 UTC on Feb 28. It has since been named as theAl Assma.
Posted in Piracy Attacks |
BIMCO meets Navies to discuss GOA convoys
On 23-24 February BIMCO attended a symposium hosted by the Chinese navy in the historical city of Nanjing.
Themed “International Counter-Piracy and Escort Symposium”, the event aimed for participants to share experiences and views on issues surrounding the escort operations in the Internationally Recognised Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden.
The symposium saw participation of more than 80 representatives from countries and international organisations, with BIMCO representing the global industry on behalf of ICS, INTERTANKO, INTERCARGO and OCIMF
Posted in Latest News |
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