Copenhagen - Pirates boarded a Danish-owned Liberian-flagged oil tanker within the Gulf of Guinea over the weekend, the proprietor mentioned Tuesday, including that contact with the 16 crew members had been misplaced.
The 135-meter Monjasa Reformer 'skilled an emergency scenario' on Saturday round 260 kilometers west of Port Pointe-Noire within the Republic of Congo, proprietor Monjasa mentioned.
The ship proprietor mentioned the crew had sought refuge within the tanker's safe room when the pirates boarded, 'in accordance with the onboard anti-piracy emergency protocol.'
'Onboard communications channels are presently down, and we're working with the native authorities to determine communication to know the scenario on board and supply all of the help wanted by the crew to beat these dreadful occasions,' Monjasa mentioned.
It mentioned 'the vessel was sitting idle' when the incident came about.
Monjasa declined to provide info on the nationalities of the crew members when requested by AFP.
In line with an official on the port of Pointe-Noire, the ship had arrived in Congolese waters on March 18 and left on March 22, and was in worldwide waters when it was attacked.
'Three males took management of the ship and since then the crew can now not be reached,' the official informed AFP.
This undated and unlocated handout image launched by Monjasa reveals the Liberian-flagged oil tanker, Monjasa Reformer, owned by Monjasa, and technically managed by Montec Ship Administration.
Noel Choong of the Worldwide Maritime Bureau's piracy reporting heart informed AFP a 'lacking vessel broadcast had been issued for passing ships to report back to us if they arrive throughout it.'
Pirates have lengthy been a threat within the Gulf of Guinea - a serious delivery route stretching 5,700 kilometers from Senegal to Angola, with Nigerian gangs finishing up most assaults.
However since 2021, shippers say pirates have been raiding farther out in worldwide waters.
Their violence and complicated ways prompted pleas from shippers for a extra sturdy overseas naval presence just like the mission to curb assaults from Somali pirates a decade in the past.
Most of the assaults in recent times have been carried out by Nigerian prison gangs who strike out in velocity boats from hideouts within the Delta area to raid vessels.
Some gangs have captured bigger fishing vessels which they use as a 'mothership' base to raid additional out to sea.
Lull in assaults
However the area, which sees numerous site visitors from oil tankers, has additionally seen a lull in exercise not too long ago.
In line with a report by The Maritime Info Cooperation and Consciousness Heart (MICA), three ships have been attacked within the space in 2022 in comparison with 26 in 2019.
The sharp decline in Gulf of Guinea assaults contributed to 2022 recording the bottom variety of incidents of piracy and armed theft worldwide with 132 circumstances, in response to the annual report from the Worldwide Maritime Bureau.
Two different assaults have been recorded within the area in 2023 up to now.
Denmark, house to delivery big Maersk, despatched a naval frigate in 2021 to patrol the waters, after the nation had pushed for a stronger worldwide naval presence.
The Absalon-class Danish frigate Esbern Snare - outfitted with a helicopter and round 175 marines onboard - was despatched to patrol the waters between November 2021 and March 2022, a interval when the chance of assaults was greater.
Skirmishes and options
The Danish Transport affiliation mentioned the most recent incident reveals 'issues with piracy off the west coast of Africa are removed from solved.'
With the struggle in Ukraine, 'We totally perceive... Denmark's naval army capability is required elsewhere,' the group mentioned.
However it instructed 'navy vessels from a number of international locations within the space... significantly the EU international locations ought to coordinate their presence' to offer the perfect cowl.
The gulf has durations of calmer seas when it's simpler for pirates to race out from hidden bases on the Nigeria coast to raid business vessels offshore and kidnap crew.
In November 2021, sailors from the frigate have been concerned in a firefight ensuing within the deaths of 5 suspected pirates.
A suspected Nigerian pirate was transferred to Denmark to obtain medical care after the skirmish.
After needing to have his leg amputated the person, who has additionally utilized for asylum in Denmark, was placed on trial for and convicted of endangering the lives of the Danish sailors.
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