New Zealand’s maritime security stressed by rising threats
21 June 2021
UK Warns Of Growing Threat In Africa
28 June 2021
The Gulf of Guinea has consistently been one of the most at-risk regions for piracy, with dozens of attacks against shipping year in year out. The pirates of the Gulf of Guinea are known for their extreme violence and use of firearms during attacks. According to IBM in 80% of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea pirates were armed with guns (1). Out of 135 crew members kidnapped globally, 130 were taken from the Gulf of Guinea (2). Pirates have launched attacks as far as 220nm from the coast against steaming vessels, suggesting advanced tracking and operational capabilities (3). The dangers associated with shipping through the Gulf of Guinea have grown to an extent that the territorial waters of Nigeria and Benin were designated a High Risk Area and in November 2020 an Extended Risk Zone was added stretching from Liberia to Angola (4).
“ by allowing these former warlords to take security roles, it became apparent that the foxes had been appointed to guard the henhouses, leading to a continuation of oil bunkering ”
