Govt determined to address maritime piracy, kidnappings
The government is expected to implement a maritime strategy to address increasing piracy and kidnappings in the Gulf of Guinea, which is the key maritime highway for international commerce.
Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia revealed the government’s determination “to modernise and re-equip the Ghana Navy and other sectors of the Ghana Armed Forces as well as key stakeholders to scale up their level of readiness to face the growing challenge.”
For a start, the government is acquiring Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), Fast Patrol Boats and Crafts.
In addition, they are making funds available for the timely completion of a military Forward Operating Base at Ezinlibo in the Western Region.
There are plans to establish similar bases on our coastal frontiers.
Dr Bawumia said training and welfare of the naval personnel would be prioritised to ensure professionalism to address the situation.
He encouraged various institutions in the oil and gas sector and the entire maritime industry to modernise their operations for efficiency.
“That is not all, the government is set to endorse a comprehensive National Integrated Maritime Strategy that will enhance interagency cooperation and thereby boost the collaboration among Land, Sea and Air Forces and key stakeholders in the country,” he added.
“This is required because securing the maritime domain for a developed blue economy entails coordinated actions among all key stakeholders in the country,” he emphasised.
In his address, the vice president noted that the criminals in the maritime industry have increased their operational range leading to a high-security threat.
In addition, the Pirate Action Groups (PAGs) have changed their activities from the primary enclave in the Niger Delta, extending both westwards and south-eastwards to the whole of the Gulf of Guinea region.
The Director of the International Maritime Bureau, Michael Howlett, warned that “pirates operating within the Gulf of Guinea are well-equipped to attack further away from shorelines.”
He also noted that these pirates are unafraid to take violent action against innocent crews.
This situation, Dr Bawumia said, is a subject of the government’s interest, and would institute the necessary measures, together with various stakeholders, locally and on the international front to deal with it pragmatically.
He made these known when he addressed stakeholders at the International Maritime Defense Exhibition and Conference (IMDEC ’21) in Accra, which ends on July 8, 2021.
Dr Bawumia observed that the criminals are not bothered by international boundaries, therefore, “it is important to remind ourselves that the threats to maritime security and safety transcend borders and affects international trade.”
He continued: “A threat to one coastal nation is a threat to others. The sea is the superhighway for global trade and Africa’s quest for a Continental Free Trade Area cannot be successful without a secured maritime domain.”
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Pirate incidents on the Gulf of Guinea
The Gulf of Guinea accounted for nearly half (43%) of all reported piracy incidents in the first three months of 2021, according to the latest figures from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC).
Again, out of the 135 persons kidnapped globally, 130 of them were reportedly abducted in the Gulf of Guinea alone.
In addition, the region accounted for all 40 kidnapped crew incidents, as well as sole crew fatality.
The IMB also reports that despite a drop in the number of reported piracy incidents for the first quarter (Q1) of 2021, violence against crew is on the rise in comparison to previous years.
Since the start of 2021, 40 crew have been kidnapped compared to 22 crew in Q1 2020. A crew member was also killed in Q1 2021.
The furthest recorded kidnapping occurred on 11 March 2021 when pirates kidnapped 15 crew from a Maltese flagged Chemical Tanker, 212nm south of Cotonou, Benin.
In another incident, a fishing vessel hijacked on 8 February 2021 was used by pirates as a mother vessel to facilitate other attacks.