West African Commandos Train to Battle Terrorists by Land and Sea
As terrorists move south through the Sahel, the Pentagon’s annual Flintlock exercise reinforced the rule of law in a region roiled by coups.
Gulf of Guinea
ICC 2019 Report: Unprecedented Number of Crew Kidnappings in the Gulf of Guinea
Published on January 14, 2020 by Johanna Loock · No Comments January 14: Despite overall piracy incidents declining in 2019, there was an alarming increase in crew kidnappings across the Gulf of Guinea, according to the International Chamber of Commerce’s International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) annual piracy report. In 2019, IMB’s Piracy Reporting Centre received 162 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships worldwide, in comparison to 201 reported incidents…
Four Chinese Nationals Kidnapped Near Libreville Rescued
Published on January 13, 2020 by Johanna Loock · No Comments January 12: Four Chinese nationals [two captains and two chief officers] abducted by pirates during a late December attack in waters off Owendo port in Libreville, Gabon’s capital were rescued recently in Nigeria, the Chinese Consulate to Lagos confirmed on Sunday. An official from the consulate told Chinese news agency Xinhua that the consulate has been working closely with…
Ghana Starts Construction of New Naval Base in Ezilinbo to Improve Gulf of Guinea Security
Published on January 9, 2020 by Johanna Loock · No Comments January 09: Ghana’s president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has officially launched construction of the country’s new naval base with a sod-turning ceremony. Akufo-Addo said the base is part of the country’s efforts to improve maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and protect the country’s oil and gas sector. Construction of the Forward Operating Base in Ezilinbo in the…
Attempted Boarding of Tanker Underway in Gulf of Guinea
Published on December 24, 2019 by Johanna Loock · No Comments December 24: It has been reported that a fast-attack boat carrying at least eight armed men (type of weapons unspecified) approached crude oil tanker ISTANBUL (IMO #9593012) in position 01°47”N, 004°28”E. The tanker conducted evasive manoeuvres repelling two attempted boardings, at which point the craft retreated to a mothership vessel. No crew were injured, and no damage has been…
Pirates Kill Captain, Kidnap 2 Other Captains and 2 Chief Officers, In Libreville Harbor, Gabon
Published on December 23, 2019 by Johanna Loock · No Comments December 22: According to an official Gabonese government statement, pirates attacked four vessels in Libreville’s harbour overnight, killing one captain and kidnapping two Chinese Captains and two Chinese chief officers. The vessels consisted of two Chinese-flagged fishing boats belonging to Sigapeche, one Panama-flagged cargo vessel, and a small, harbor landing craft belonging to Satram). The captain who was killed…
Suspicious Mothership Vessel Spotted in Posn 03°N, 003°53’ E; Exercise Caution
Published on December 19, 2019 by Johanna Loock · No Comments December 19, 09:30 UTC: A suspicious mother vessel towing a speed boat was reported at 0930 UTC in position 0300N / 00353E. Vessels are advised to exercise extreme caution in this area. Source: MDAT-GoG Tags: Gulf of Guinea, Piracy, suspicious activity
20 Crew Members Kidnapped From Tanker 110 NM S of Cotonou, Benin
Published on December 16, 2019 by Johanna Loock · No Comments December 15: According to multiple reports the Marshall Islands-flagged Oil/Chemical Tanker MT DUKE (IMO #9262259) was boarded by six unauthorized persons whilst underway from Luanda, Angola to Lome, Togo (approx. position 04°23’N, 002°02.3’E) at approx. 08:00 UTC. 20 of the 21 crew have been confirmed kidnapped. All of those kidnapped are of Indian nationality, while the sole crew member…
Nigeria, Benin, and Niger to Form Joint Border Patrol Force to Fight Smuggling
Published on November 20, 2019 by Johanna Loock · No Comments November 14: Nigeria and neighboring countries Benin and Niger have agreed to set up a joint border patrol force to tackle smuggling between the West African countries, they said in a communique on Thursday. Foreign ministers from the three countries met to discuss smuggling following a decision by regional giant Nigeria, which has Africa’s largest economy and biggest population,…
Nigerian Navy Monitors Pipelines Using UAVs (Drones)
Published on November 19, 2019 by Johanna Loock · No Comments November 15: The Nigerian Navy (NN) on Thursday said drones [unmanned aerial vehicles; UAVs] and helicopters have been deployed for surveillance of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) pipelines from Atlas Cove, Apapa to Ejigbo and Mosimi depots in Lagos and Ogun states. This deployment, the service said, was to beat pipeline vandals who loot petroleum products from ruptured pipes…