PIRACY IN WEST AFRICA: VIEWS FROM ANOTHER LAND

By David Badger

Attacks on the increase in Nigerian waters, while navies and private armed guards disrupt Somalian pirate activities
Piracy is on the increase in West African waters, according to a new report.
More than 100 incidents of piracy and armed robbery have been reported for the first quarter of 2012, with dangerously increasing numbers in West African waters, according to figures released today in the latest International Maritime Bureau’s (IMB) global piracy report.
Worldwide, 11 vessels were reported hijacked, with 212 crew members taken hostage and four killed.
A further 45 vessels were boarded, with 32 attempted attacks and 14 vessels fired upon – the latter all attributed to either Somali or Nigerian pirates.
Ten reports were received from Nigeria, the same number reported for the whole of last year, with a further attack in neighbouring Benin also attributed to Nigerian pirates.
“Nigerian piracy is increasing in incidence and extending in range,” said Pottengal Mukundan, Director of the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre, which has been monitoring piracy worldwide since 1991.
“At least six of the 11 reported incidents in Nigeria occurred at distances greater than 70 nautical miles from the coast, which suggests that fishing vessels are being used as motherships to attack shipping further afield.
“While the number of reported incidents in Nigeria is still less than Somalia, and hijacked vessels are under control of the pirates for days rather than months, the level of violence against crew is dangerously high,” added Mukundan.
Somalia continues to dominate the figures with 43 attacks, including the hijacking of nine vessels and the taking hostage of 144 crew.
But while the number of incidents and hijackings for Q1 are less than those in the same period in 2011, it is unlikely that the threat of Somali piracy will diminish in the short to medium term unless further actions are taken, said the IMB.
The report attributes the reduction in attacks to disruptive action and pre-emptive strikes by navies in the region.
This disruption of numerous pirate action groups emphasises the importance of the navies in both deterring and combating Somali piracy, said the IMB.
The increasing use of private armed security personnel also contributed to the decrease in hijackings.
“The EU announcement to expand its anti-piracy mission to target pirates ashore is another welcome move that could further threaten the Somali piracy model,” Mukundan said.
As of 31 March, suspected Somali pirates still held 15 vessels with 253 crew members as hostages, with an additional 49 crew members being held hostage on land, according to the IMB.