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Insights into Rising Piracy Threats in African Waters
By Alex Kimani – Mar 23, 2024, 6:00 PM CDT
- Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, has issued a warning to shipping companies regarding the increased threat of piracy after numerous vessel seizures in the Gulf of Guinea and off the Somali coast.
- Recent attacks in the Red Sea have diverted attention and allowed previously inactive piracy hotspots to become active again.
- In addition to disrupting shipping operations, the surge in piracy activities in African waters is expected to result in higher shipping expenses due to elevated insurance premiums.
Since the month of November, hundreds of cargo vessels have been compelled to take a longer 4,000-mile route around Africa to avoid attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels in the Bab al-Mandab strait.
Regrettably, the recent Red Sea incidents have led to a resurgence of previously dormant piracy zones. For instance, there has been a notable increase in pirate attacks along the Somali coastline, marked by over 20 attempted hijackings since November, resulting in heightened insurance costs and security fees for ships. Just last month, Houthi rebels attacked and set fire to a cargo ship traversing the Gulf of Aden in Somalia.
Ismail Isse, a pirate financier, revealed to Reuters, “They exploited this opportunity due to reduced international naval patrols off the coast of Somalia,” disclosing his involvement in another hijacking incident in December.
The President of Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, expressed to Reuters, “If we don’t neutralize this threat at an early stage, it could escalate to its previous levels.”
Global interventions have yielded mixed results. Recently, the Indian Navy successfully intercepted the Maltese-flagged bulk carrier MV Ruen Ruen, apprehending all 35 pirates and rescuing 17 hostages.
Cyrus Mody, the deputy director of the International Chamber of Commerce’s anti-crime division, remarked, “This intervention highlights the unfavorable risk/reward ratio for pirates, hopefully deterring future attacks.”
Conversely, a Bangladeshi foreign ministry official informed Reuters that the government is “not endorsing any military interventions” to liberate the Bangladeshi-owned bulk carrier Abdullah hijacked by Somali pirates a week ago.
In a recent statement, Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, urged shipping companies to remain vigilant against piracy following multiple vessel seizures in Somali waters and the Gulf of Guinea. Dominguez emphasized the need for stringent security practices reminiscent of measures adopted during the previous piracy crisis.
“They need to reinstate security protocols comparable to those implemented between 2008 and 2012 off the coast of Somalia”