The escalation confirms the gulf of guinea s status as the main locus for maritime insecurity in africa. Gulf of guinea worlds most dangerous piracy hotspot in response to two piracy incidents over three days off the coast of togo and benin, both involving crews taken hostage, we reiterate our advice for vessels to operate with a heightened level of security in the gulf of guinea region. The modus operandi of piracy on the gulf of guinea include violence, especially because they utilise sophisticated weapons, such as ak47s. The gulf of guinea, which has been africas main maritime piracy hotspot since 2011, could become the worlds most piracyaffected area. Pdf piracy attacks in the gulf of guinea have taken a worrying trend. Petropiracy in the gulf of guinea is unlikely to reach the levels witnessed in 201120. Unlike the somali pirates, the pirates in the gulf of guinea target the. Piracy and maritime security in the gulf of guinea. Jan 14, 2019 the gulf of guinea remains increasingly dangerous for seafarers. Much of the piracy that affects west africa is a product of the disorder that surrounds the regional oil industry. Introduction piracy and armed robbery hereafter referred to as piracy in the gulf of guinea region is an established criminal activity and is. The coast of somalia and the horn of africa achieves increasing attention since 2007 on the other side piracy in west africa, notably the gulf of guinea, has become the third major recognized area. Introduction piracy and armed robbery hereafter referred to as piracy in the gulf of guinea region is an established criminal activity and is of increasing concern to the maritime sector.
Apr 11, 2019 with the media reporting of new attacks in recent weeks, including kidnappings for ransom, we examine the piracy threat and its trends in the gulf of guinea. In somalia, there is no effective government authority that can counter piracy, and an international antipiracy patrol has stepped in to. Unlike the somali pirates, the pirates in the gulf of guinea target the cargoes. Contemporary hijack for oil theft cases have demonstrated that even though piracy in the gulf of guinea is nigeriacentric, petropirates tend to rely on multinational networks of informants, buyers, exseafarers and sponsors, making it a regional problem. The 28th session of the imo assembly in december 20 unanimously adopted resolution a.
Piracy in gulf of guinea remains isolated, but targets. Its geopolitical and geoeconomic importance has grown since it has become a strategic hub in global and regional energy trade. Reports in the last few weeks have highlighted the persistent threat of piracy, armed robbery at sea and kidnapforransom in the gulf of guinea. Piracy in the gulf of guinea and policies against it the gulf of guinea offers 5,000 nautical miles of coastline for the maritime industry. Cases of abductions of maritime personnel across the gulf of guinea have been on the rise since 2011. That said, continued instability in the niger delta, endemic regional corruption issues. Clearly, a specific, realistic solution is needed as soon as possible to minimise the longterm consequences of piracy in the gulf of guinea. Piracy in the gulf of guinea, october 2011 monthly. Attackers in the gulf of guinea region are flexible in their operations so it is difficult to predict a precise area where a ship might fall victim to an attack. By adeniyi adejimi osinowo february 28, 2015 download this brief as a pdf.
It shows that maritime piracy continues to be a threat to seafarers, not only in the western indian ocean, but also in the gulf of guinea and south east asia. Despite earning the inauspicious title in recent years as the shipping corridor with the highest number of piracy attacks in the world, regional responses to piracy and maritime security threats in the gulf of guinea, have been fragmentary. In 2018q1, the gog accounted for 29, more than 40% of the global total. Kidnap for ransom piracy trending higher in gulf of guinea heat map of kidnap for ransom incidents off the nigerian coast showing danger zone off the niger delta. Gulf of guinea piracy is increasingly characterized by violent assaults against vessels and hostage takings1,871 seafarers were victims of attacks and 279 were taken hostage in 20 figure 3. Gulf of guinea piracy and piracy off the coast of somalia, what lessons gulf of guinea coastal states should learn from somali piracy for them to effectively combat and eliminate piracy activities within their area.
Guidelines for owners, operators and masters for protection. Kidnap for ransom piracy trending higher in gulf of guinea. While piracy is now a regional issue for the gulf of guinea, this ultimatum highlights the fact that the drivers of the crime and its ultimate solution both lie in nigeria. Yaounde, cameroon, with wide international sup port 3 nevertheless, piracy in the gulf of guinea. Nya martrack data shows there have been 75 piracy incidents in the gulf of guinea within the past six months, including 21. A threat assement, the gulf of guinea international peace institute.
Modus operandi of piracy in the gulf of guinea and coast of ghana there are a high number of piracy attacks off the gulf of guinea and coast of ghana and this rate is increasing. Differences and similarities between gulf of guinea and. As recently as last week, two american sailors were captured by pirates off the coast of. The latest figures from the international maritime bureau confirm the rising threat of piracy in nigerian waters.
The gulf of guinea remains increasingly dangerous for seafarers. In 2012, the international maritime bureaus imb piracy reporting centre recorded 58 attacks, including 10 hijackings. Reports of attacks in waters between the ivory coast and the democratic republic of congo more than doubled in 2018, accounting for all six hijackings worldwide, of the 18 ships fired upon, of the 141 hostages taken globally, and 78 of 83 seafarers kidnapped for ransom. London and kuala lumpur, 14 january 2020 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 commerces international maritime bureaus imb annual piracy report. Updated best practices to deter piracy issued safety4sea. This was a key observation made by american and african experts at a workshop organised by the africa center for strategic studies in abidjan from 14 to 17 february. Pirates in the gulf of guinea are often part of heavily armed criminal enterprises, who employ violent methods to steal oil cargo. The assailers are concentrating now on crews hostage. Piracy in south east asia, specially the strait of malacca and the south china sea has been seen as problematic from the 1990s onwards. Recently, the hijacking of product tankers from anchorages in the gulf of guinea is of great concern. In both gulfs, the most common form of modern maritime piracy and armed robbery at sea is the hijacking of ships, with a focus on kidnapping and ransom payments.
Piracy in gulf of guinea causes, efforts and solutions. Over the years, affected littoral nations and the shipping community have learnt some lessons, whilst pirates are using old tricks. Introduction maritime crime off the coast of west africa is a translated into its original latin form, pirates literally mean enemies of mankind. A large share of the recent piracy attacks targeted.
This 5th annual report by obp on the cost of maritime piracy is the first ever assessment of the economic and human cost of piracy in the three primary hotspots in the world. Armed attacks against ships in the oilrich gulf of guinea surged in 2018, making these waters off west and central. Piracy in the gulf of guinea council on foreign relations. In addition, in the gulf of guinea, the oil boom has. The loss of human lives and valuable property as well as infliction of bodily injuries and trauma to innocent crews and their families are the most obvious direct impacts of pirate activities.
Recent trends in piracy and armed robbery armed attacks against ships in the oilrich gulf of guinea surged in 2018, making these waters off west and central africa the worlds most dangerous for piracy and armed robbery. Worldwide, the imb piracy reporting centre prc recorded 201 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in 2018, up from 180 in 2017. Countering maritime piracy, especially off the coast of. Following a spectacular decline in the gulf of aden, incidents of armed robbery at sea and piracy which legally refer to attacks beyond territorial waters are now on the rise in the gulf of guinea. Its sea basin is an important resource for fisheries and is part of a key sea route for the transport of goods between central and southern africa and the rest of the world. Reports of attacks in waters between the ivory coast and the democratic republic. Piracy challenges in the gulf of guinea along the coast of. Interim guidelines for owners, operators and masters for.
International maritime organization january 2011 february 2011 march 2011 april 2011 may 2011 june 2011 july 2011 august 2011 september 2011 october 2011 november 2011. Piracy in the gulf of guinea expected council action in october the council is expected to hold a debate on piracy in the gulf of guinea, a vast coastal stretch from ghana in west africa down to gabon in central africa. The act is referred to as piracy when it occurred in. The distinction between piracy and armed robbery at sea is a technical one, and depends on where the act was perpetrated. Nigeria and maritime security in the gulf of guinea. Gulf of guinea worlds most dangerous piracy hotspot gard. The gulf of guinea is framed by 6 000 km of west african coastline, from senegal to angola. Gulf of guinea africa center for strategic studies. Petro piracy in the gulf of guinea is unlikely to reach the levels witnessed in 201120. Also, iccs imb piracy reporting center noted that nigeria remains risky highlighting the need for vigilance in the gulf of guinea.
The anatomy of gulf of guinea piracy us naval war college. The outbreak of piracy off the coast of the gulf of guinea has long been overshadowed by somali piracy, which has seized the attention of the international community in recent years. The conditions in the gulf seem to be ideal for the business of shipping due to a large number of natural harbors, the inexistence of chokepoints and the scarcity of adverse weather conditions. In comprehending the challenge that this study sets out to come in terms with, is a foreknowledge of the region regarded as the gulf of guinea is considered useful. In 2012, the international maritime bureaus imb piracy reporting centre recorded 58. Pdf piracy in gulf of guinea causes, efforts and solutions. With the number of recent incidents of piracy in the region. The coast of somalia and the horn of africa achieves increasing attention since 2007 on the other side piracy in west africa, notably the gulf of guinea. Apr, 2016 the conclusion and signing of the agreement are expected to enhance security in the gulf of guinea and help in curbing maritime crimes such as piracy, crude oil theft, sabotage of oil rigs and. The gulf of guinea pirates also appear to be more violent. Fighting rising piracy in the gulf of guinea iss africa. It has been now recognized connection between periods of increase in number of attacks with activities of boko haram off the coast of gulf of guinea. While piracy in the gog tends to be nigeriacentric, historical trends indicate the geographic scope of nigeriabased maritime piracy can quickly expand and contract.
Imb piracy reporting centre piracy and armed robbery a. Pdf piracy is a global phenomenon negatively affecting the security of the entire maritime traffic in the world. According to reports the trend of violent kidnappings for ransom increased by. Attackers in the gulf of guinea region are flexible in their operations so it is difficult to predict a precise area where a. With the media reporting of new attacks in recent weeks, including kidnappings for ransom, we examine the piracy threat and its trends in the gulf of guinea. Unlike the situation off the coast of somalia, piracy attacks in the gulf of guinea have increased in severity over the past decade. Cost of piracy in the gulf of guinea region the cost of piracy in the region comes in various shades.
Countering maritime piracy, especially off the coast of somalia and in the gulf of guinea the commission on crime prevention and criminal justice, recalling its resolutions 196 of 21 may 2010, on countering maritime piracy off the coast of somalia, and 205 of 15 april 2011, on combating the problem of transnational organized crime committed. Pdf piracy and maritime security in the gulf of guinea. Piracy and armed robbery at sea continues to threaten seafarers in regions like gulf of guinea, the waters of south east asia and the waters off somalia. The strategy for stealing hydrocarbons is revolved. Piracy and armed robbery in the gulf of guinea region is an established criminal activity and is of serious concern to the maritime sector. At press time it appeared that the council would issue a presidential. Interim guidelines for owners, operators and masters for protection against piracy in the gulf of guinea region to be read in conjunction with bmp4 1. The gulf of guinea is also known for drug trafficking, with 20 to 40 tons of cocaine coming from south america each year, and illegal fishing that accounts for 40 percent of the fishing activity. Guidelines for owners, operators and masters for protection against piracy in the gulf of guinea region to be read in conjunction with bmp4 1. Acts of piracy conducted off the coast of benin, 2011 source. The conclusion and signing of the agreement are expected to enhance security in the gulf of guinea and help in curbing maritime crimes such as piracy, crude oil theft, sabotage of oil rigs and. Nigeria and maritime security in the gulf of guinea punch.
If somali piracy is at a sevenyear low, the gulf of guinea has become the new epicenter of piracy. City kulak ix enugu trt agip madonna 1 bburbon liberty 251. Fighting piracy in the gulf of guinea european union institute for. Piracy incidents in the gulf of guinea over the past six months since 16 august 2017 have remained concentrated in nigerian territorial waters ttw, especially south of port harcourt and bonny island in the niger delta. The modus operandi of piracy on the gulf of guinea include violence, especially because they utilise sophisticated weapons, such as. Piracy in the gulf of guinea affects a number of countries in west africa as well as the wider international community. Research report page 2 of 8 nations affected by the gulf of guinea piracy, however nigeria is the most impacted state, as it is the largest in the region. Threats to maritime security in the gulf of guinea range from piracy, armed robbery and oil theft to il legal fishing and trafficking in illicit goods. The escalation confirms the gulf of guineas status as the main locus for maritime insecurity in africa.
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