25 - 31 May 2013 (Vol. 2; No.22/13)

The Main Topics - Bookmark our RSS Newsfeed

New Sponsors Wanted - Click

Ask us how you can be a sponsor of this newsletter in 2013 - click here.

Feedback on the newsletter is welcomed too.

Tanker attack ends in kidnap, Oil & Gas, an African problem in the making? – Nigerian tanker crew kidnapped off Bayelsa where latest Nigerian pirate attacks have occurred on the same day Hansa Marburg kidnapped crew released. Pakistani families of kidnapped crew threaten to kill Nigerians in Pakistan in revenge if any deaths occur. Piracy blamed for loss of oil revenue in Tanzania, Somalia’s plan to auction off oil blocks likely to speed up territorial conflict; Force majeure declared on Nigerian crude oil, oil theft threatens security, UK and USA express readiness to help curb Nigeria oil theft menace. Despite some successes, Nigerian forces warn pirates to desist or face the consequences. Ex-militants threaten to go back to attacking oil installations due to unpaid allowances. US and Caribbean nations to work together in maritime security matters. Gulf Cooperation Council meets to discuss anti- piracy measures. What do a handful of South African mercenaries do for an encore in Somalia, once all the pirates are gone? Iranians said to be using islands in the Red Sea to store illegal arms, with a view to smuggling these to the Houthi rebels in Yemen’s Sa’ada Governorate. Accountant claims that the person who is able to control the Kismayo port will have considerable leverage to control the other areas. Work here is well underway as Somali business presses ahead with his new multi-million dollar project: to build a luxury beach resort in Mogadishu. Kenyans are making efforts to forge business ties with Somalia. New pirate ant discovered in the Philippines.

Contents: Regional Activity; Released by Pirates; Pirates in Court; Private Security; International Response; Piracy Cost; Seafarers' Plight; And Finally...; Piracy Incidents; Situational Map

East Africa/Indian Ocean WHAT do a handful of South African mercenaries do for an encore in Somalia, once all the pirates are gone? - Foreign Policy It's not easy to be a mercenary these daysm writes Jay Bahadur and James Bridger. The once-booming markets in and Afghanistan have shrunk, while lingering controversy surrounding the mercenary poster-boy company Blackwater (or whatever they're called these days) has served to paint private security contractors as reckless and unaccountable war junkies. A good gig as a soldier of fortune is harder and harder to come by. Yet there's one war-torn country where demand for guns-for-hire is still high. A contingent of mercenaries has managed to carve out a niche for itself in the failed state of Somalia. Initially brought on in an internationally controversial mission to combat pirates terrorizing Somalia's coastal waters, the mostly South African corps have now turned to fighting Somalia's al Qaeda- linked terrorist menace, al-Shabab. In the anarchic world of failed states, private contractors are often able to accomplish what goverments are not. But the consequences are hard to predict. It's hard to argue with the results. Since PMPF went live in early 2010, piracy has been virtually eliminated in Puntland; over a year has passed since the last Somali pirate hijacking. Yet exactly where the credit lies is different matter. Most attribute the drop off in piracy to the increased deployment of armed guard detachments on board commercial vessels, rather than enforcement efforts on land. Image - Courtesy of FP

IRANIAN nationals are using islands in the Red Sea to store illegal arms, with a view to smuggling these to the Houthi rebels in Yemen’s Sa’ada Governorate, Asharq Al-Awsat has learnt - Yahoo News. Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the condition of anonymity, a senior Yemeni official confirmed that smugglers are utilizing Red Sea islands in their criminal activities, including Iranians smuggling arms to the Shi’ite Houthi rebels in northern Yemen. “Many of the small islands in the Red Sea are unpopulated and therefore it is easy for large ships to unload their cargo there, with this later being smuggled into Yemen on smaller fishing boats,” he added. The Yemeni official stressed that arms were being smuggled into the country for two main reasons: firstly, for political and security reasons, namely in order to destabilize the post-Arab Spring state; secondly, for financial benefit. He also warned that “some of the arms smuggled into Yemen are subsequently redirected into neighboring countries.” Yemen has seized a number of ships which were smuggling arms into the country via its western and southern coasts. Yemeni authorities have confiscated large quantities of weapons, reportedly including sophisticated weapons headed to the Houthi rebels in Sa’ada governorate. Yemen is suffering from significant maritime security issues, particularly as the country has over 2000 km of coastline. On April 24, UNHCR reported that more than 30,000 African refugees had illegally entered the country since the beginning of the year.

TODAY al-Shabaab militants are nowhere to be seen in the Somali port city of Kismayo, which was once their financial hub and their last major stronghold in Somalia - VOA News. But those who united to defeat their common enemy in the city are now fighting for control of liberated areas and for who gets the big share of seaport revenue. Much of Somalia’s two decades of brutal war was characterized by the fight for control of territories and strategic towns that produce clan pride and financial muscle. The fight is still going on today over the newly created Jubaland region in southern Somalia, where at least three different men have claimed to be president of a new Jubaland state. Kismayo is the gateway into Jubaland which consists of three regions, Gedo, Middle and Lower Juba, and the person who is able to control the city’s port will have considerable leverage to control the other areas. An accountant who works at the port, but didn’t want to give his name for security reasons, said all the men claiming the presidency are jostling for money from the port. "They do usually say they will take away what comes their way,” and he adds “These people have never worked for a government, and they don’t know how to manage a port. They are rebels who are stealing the resources and taking what they can get," he said. The accountant says boats dock at the port of Kismayo carrying much needed basic commodities like milk powder and flour and later the boats leave loaded with charcoal, the only valuable export of Somalia at the present time. He says the monthly port revenue is currently divided between the port administration led by Ahmed Madobe, who heads the militia group Raskamboni, and Kenyan forces.

TANZANIA'S Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority has launched a three-day conference to build the capacity of senior marine officials to fight piracy in the Indian Ocean, Tanzania's Daily News reported Wednesday (May 29th) - AllAfrica. "The effects of piracy have been felt by our country and it needs political intervention to face the challenges so that safety and security will once again bring cruise ships which stopped operating in our waters for fear of being hijacked by pirates," Ministry of Transport Deputy Permanent Secretary John Mngodo told participants from more than ten countries. International Maritime Organisation Regional Co-ordinator for Eastern and Southern Africa John Muindi said experts were implementing strategies to combat piracy, improving facilities and skills with the co-operation of the United States and African countries. The region has lost more than $6 billion in the past ten years due to piracy, the newspaper reported.

BASHIR Osman moves hurriedly along a white sandy beachfront, giving instructions to a driver operating a bulldozer - CNN. Near them, a large truck is ferrying away piles of rocks, clearing a sun-soaked beach lapped by the azure blue waters of the Indian Ocean. Work here is well underway as Osman presses ahead with his new multi-million dollar project: to build a luxury beach resort in Mogadishu, the capital of war-torn Somalia. "I knew one day that Mogadishu will become peace and we'll get stability," says Osman, who already owns two hotels in the city. "That is why I started to buy that land." After more than 20 years of violence, Somalia moved a step closer to stability last September after picking its first president elected on home soil in decades. Image - via CNN

SOMALIA plans to sign 30 PSCs this year with foreign oil companies and auction off over 300 new oil blocks, but oil rights here are not solidified and this will be another bloody mess - Hiiraan Online. Analysis: Late last year, Somalia announced it would auction off 308 oil blocks, newly delineated. This has caused a bit of rush on Somalia, from the juniors to the supermajors, like Royal Dutch Shell and ConocoPhillips. This pending rush on Somalia is premature. The country’s new government is transitional and dysfunctional at best, and by no means does it control the country—the militant al-Shabaab has been weakened, but certainly not driven out and still controls some key areas. Somalia’s coast is also a major piracy venue. It will be impossible to determine the power brokers here to land contracts, especially for the juniors. A multitude of influential tribes and militias are trying to gain control over oil prospects and dealing with the new government is only a small part of the equation. The power brokers are shifting and the dynamism is impossible to keep up with. It is difficult for a government to delineate new oil blocks on territory it does not fully control. The arrival of foreign oil companies will speed up territorial conflict over oil.

MORE Kenyan companies are forging business ties with Somalia as rebuilding of the war-torn country gathers momentum - Standard Digital. They want to take leading role in its reconstruction as world powers scramble for the resources and opportunities in the country. Somalia has faced civil strife for the last three decades with State security agents and international forces battling armed militia across the vast nation. The Horn of Africa nation had also been held at ransom for several years by pirates just off its coastline. In a report dubbed “Pirates of Somalia: Ending the Threat, Rebuilding a Nation”, released in April, the World Bank estimated that piracy off the Somali coast cost the global economy an estimated $18 billion (Sh1.494 trillion) annually. Such security lapses have made it difficult for both local and international firms to do business, degrading its infrastructure. Today, the world’s commitment to rebuild Somalia presents vast business opportunities in various sectors such as education, infrastructure, mining, fishing, energy and banking.

PRIME Minister Shinzo Abe renewed Japan's commitment to supporting Somalia's nation- building efforts Friday, saying Tokyo will resume direct aid to the East African nation that is seeking to revive its economy and government following two decades of civil strife and political turmoil - Global Post. At a special meeting in Yokohama dedicated to discussing issues confronting Somalia, Abe said Japan's new assistance to the country will focus on enhancing its socio-economic conditions, maintaining law and order, and invigorating the country's fragile industries. "The stability of Somalia is important for the stability and prosperity of East Africa and indispensible for solving Somalia's piracy problem fundamentally and ensuring the safety of one of the world's major sea arteries, which connects the Indian Ocean with the Red and Mediterranean seas," Abe told participants.

West Africa ON the day that the release of four kidnapped crew of the German container ship, Hansa Marburg, is announced, Nigerian pirates attack and board an oil products tanker off the southern coast of Nigeria, resulting in the kidnap of several crewmembers -OCEANUSLive. Nigeria-flagged tanker, Matrix I, enroute from Cotonou, Benin to Idoho field off Nigeria's South Akwa Ibom state, came under attack by an unknown number of pirates at approximately 0220 Local Time about 42 nautical miles WSW of Cap Formoso, Nigeria The pirates were able to board the Matrix I, which has 17 crewmembers, 12 Pakistani and 5 Nigerian, reportedly is only capable of a speed of 6 knots. It is not yet known for certain whether any security personnel were embarked at the time of the attack, however, in view of the acknowledged threat of piracy in the area - MT Bosun, MV City of Xiamen, MV City of Guangzhou and Offshore crew boat Utai 8 were attacked in the same area at the end of April this year - Nigerian authorities have recently changed the regulations on private security in the region. On leaving the vessel after an undeterminte time, the pirates kidnapped seven of the Pakistani crew. Their destination is not known. Image - Via MarineTraffic.com

FAMILIES of the five Pakistani nationals on board an oil vessel, Mt Matrix 1, abducted last Saturday at 40 nautical miles off the Bayelsa coast have told the management of the company, Matrix Energy, in Warri, Delta State, not to pay any ransom to the abductors to get them released, promising to take revenge on Nigerians in their hundreds in Pakistan, if any of the victims was killed - Vanguard Nigeria. The abducted victims include the Captain, Chief Officer, cook and two others. They were conveying automated gasoline oil, AGO, from Lagos to Eket, when they were abducted at 9pm. Sources said that relevant security agencies in Bayelsa State and Warri in Delta State, had been informed of the incident. The source added that the company had begun negotiation with the abductors, but that details of negotiations with the company on ransom were not disclosed.

GUNMEN, suspected to be sea bandits, have killed a 30-year-old boat driver, Godknows Wuruke, and injured over 10 persons in Delta State - Vanguard Nigeria. Vanguard was informed that the bandits ambushed two passenger boats, moving from Warri to Aghoro community in Bayelsa State at River Forcados tributary, behind Burutu, headquarters of Burutu Local Government Area, Delta State and robbed the passengers. Wuruke left Warri waterside at about 5.20 p.m and was allegedly shot dead by the gunmen because he tried to prevent them from robbing his passengers. Chairman of the Aghoro waterside boat drivers, Mr. Cletus Itari, who confirmed the incident to Vanguard on phone,Monday, called on security agents to mount surveillance on the waterways in Burutu area, as it was obtainable in Warri axis to ensure the safety of the people. He also urged the chairmanof Burutu Local Government, Mr. Denne Bukuman “to arrange for community vigilance group to patrol the area and stop the excesses of the sea pirates, who are operating without restraint in the area.”

A FORCE majeure has been declared on the Usan grade of Nigerian crude oil, operator Total confirmed on Thursday, adding to the problems facing Africa's largest oil exporter - Reuters. A spokesman for Total in Geneva confirmed production was completely halted, but said there was no further information on the outage, or how long it was likely to last at this stage. A force majeure exempts parties to a contract from their obligations due to circumstances beyond their control. Four cargoes of Usan representing around 127,000 barrels per day of Usan were due to be exported in June. The force majeure for Usan adds to those on Royal Dutch Shell's Bonny Light and Eni's Brass river. Shell declared a force majeure on Bonny Light on March 5 because of "unprecedented" levels of theft.

THE Ambassador of Republic of Togo to Nigeria, Colonel Addo Maman Tchalare has pledged the commitment of his country to assist Nigeria’s crackdown on insurgents - Marinelink. The Ambassador made the assertion while on a courtesy visit to the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Joseph Ezeoba at the Naval Headquarters, Abuja recently. Col. Tchalare said over the years, his country and Nigeria have strengthened their diplomatic ties which enabled them contribute immensely to sub-regional, regional and global security as founding members of ECOWAS. The Ambassador reiterated that his country will do everything to assist a brotherly nation like Nigeria to overcome her current security challenges, stating that without the atmosphere of peace and stability, the region cannot attract investors. He also thanked the Nigerian armed forces for their support to the Togolese military through scholarship which enhanced the capability of Togolese military officers who are trained at the Nigerian Defense Academy, Armed Forces Command and Staff College Jaji and the prestigious National Defense College Abuja.

NIGERIAN Navy, NN Beecroft, Apapa, Lagos, has warned pirates to stay clear of the command’s jurisdiction in their own interest, or face unpalatable consequences - Vanguard Nigeria. The command said it had foiled several attempts by sea robbers to perpetrate their criminal acts within its jurisdiction, arresting some suspects in the process. The Commander, Commodore Chris Ezekobe, who gave the warning during an interview with Vanguard at the end of the parade to mark his inaugural rounds, noted that the actions were in line with the Chief of Naval Staff strategic guidance 01, with zero tolerance to illegalities. According to him, the arrests were made between February and May 2013. He said: “The first arrest was that of a vessel called MT Ebba. We also arrested four Benin Republic’s citizens, who were accosted around the Single Buoy Mooring, SBM.

THREE young men allegedly working as oil pipeline surveillance workers and two women dealing in illegally refined diesel have been arrested by officers and men of the 3 Battalion Army, Warri, Delta State, while over 15 mammy boats used for conveying illegally refined petroleum products were destroyed during an operation to wipe out illegal refining in the state - Sweet Crude. Commanding officer of the 3 Battalion, Lt. Col. Ifeayin Out made these disclosures while parading the suspects before newsmen, describing the early hours operation around the Opumami, Bennet Island and Macaraba areas of Warri South and South-West as very successful. The names of the surveillance workers are: Olotoye Rufus, Emotoghan Akpos while the third, alleged to be a worker in one of the illegal refineries is Victor Tene. The suspected female oil thieves caught along with them at a camp include Tokere Lucky, 22 and Ebibare Ayas, 36 years. Commander Out said they would be thoroughly investigated and then handed over to the appropriate prosecuting authorities for further action. The surveillance workers were allegedly caught at the entrance of a creek where illegal bunkering is conducted, while the women were caught transferring refined products from jerry- cans. Image - Via Sweet Crude

THE Nigerian Navy will receive two more ex-United States vessels next year, the US Navy Survey Ship John McDonnell and the US Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin - DefenceWeb. Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, on Friday said that the two vessels would be inspected between May and August next year, reports Nigeria’s National Mirror. Ezeoba was represented by Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogbor, Chief of Policy and Plans, who said that the United States has transferred several ships to Nigeria over the last decade. These include the NNS Thunder, Obula, Nwamba, Kyanwa and Ologbo. “These ships have contributed immensely to the security of the nation’s maritime environment and the Gulf of Guinea,” he said. The vessels are donated as part of the US military’s Excess Defence Articles system. Image - Courtesy of DefencWeb

TWELVE crew members are missing after a Chevron contracted tug boat sank on Sunday due to rough seas off the coast of Nigeria, the ship's owner said on Tuesday - Reuters. The Jascon-4 capsized early on Sunday due to "heavy ocean swells" while the vessel was "performing towing operations" at a mooring point around 30 kilometres off oil-producing Delta state, Chevron's Nigeria unit said on Sunday. "Unfortunately all twelve crew members are still missing," a spokeswoman for the ship's owner West African Ventures said. "Rescue operations involving sea divers are still ongoing and a full investigation into the incident is taking place," she said. West African Ventures is owned by Sea Trucks Group.

AS reported earlier this week, tragedy struck offshore Escravos, Nigeria on Sunday 26 May when th eanchor handling tug Jacson 4 sankin heavy weather - gCaptain. Divers recovered 10 bodies from the sunken ship and 1 is still missing. Miraculously however, the ship’s cook, Mr. Okene Harrison, was found alive after spending roughly two days inside the sunken vessel at a depth of 30 meters. “The fact this person survived is incredible,’ commented former US Navy Salvage Officer Patrick Keenan. ”After spending two days at 30 meters of depth, he had become saturated, meaning his body had absorbed all the pressurized gases and equalized with the surrounding water pressure. Bringing him to surface from that depth, and after having been saturated at 3 or 4 atmospheres, could easily have killed him.

AS the afternoon sun glinted off the waters in Ivory Coast's port of Abidjan, a team of gendarmes set out in a leaky wooden pirogue with no weapons and nothing more than mobile phones for communication - Yahoo News. Their mission: to hold the front line against piracy in the world's new hotspot for maritime crime, the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa. "This is how we work every day," grumbled one man as their outboard motor sputtered out, setting them adrift amid bobbing plastic bottles. "We don't even have life vests." Until recently, Ivory Coast's maritime surveillance brigade - the equivalent of a coastguard - managed, barely, to keep a lid on crime in the waters around one of Africa's busiest ports. But ruthless Nigerian gangs, which have expanded hundreds of miles beyond their home waters in the last three years, reached francophone West Africa's largest economy in October. Born of an uprising in Nigeria's oil-rich Niger Delta, which spawned a web of criminal networks, the gangs now threaten to derail the development of one of the world's poorest regions as the Gulf of Guinea seeks to become a major oil and gas hub. The start-up of large oil fields in Ghana, and promising discoveries to the west in neighbouring Ivory Coast, have helped to stoke interest in the region from international oil firms. The spike in attacks is alarming Western powers, not least the United States, as regional governments struggle to cope.

IN the wake of the recent piracy attacks in Nigeria's maritime domain, the Nigerian Navy (NN) Wednesday warned pirates to desist from their nefarious activities or face the consequences - Nigerian Navy. The Flag Officer Commanding, Western Naval Command (WNC), Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, made this disclosure during the ongoing 57th anniversary of the NN, held at Beecroft, Apapa, Lagos. Also, as part of the activities earmarked to celebrate the anniversary, which coincided with the Democracy Day celebrations, the navy took over 350 civilians on a sea trip. The event, which was held at the grounds of Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) Beecroft, one of the units under the WNC and commanded by Commodore Chris Ezekobe, saw a large number of civilians gracing the occasion. The civilians were taken on the sea trip on NNS Makurdi, NNS Obula, two Shaldag and Andoni ships. The ships were escorted by the Special Boat Services (SBS) of the navy led by its commander, Lieutenant Commander Kola Omopariola, who also led his team to perform special demonstration for the civilians when the ships berthed. According to Ibas, in pursuance of the mandate of President Goodluck Jonathan to the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba, the command had already made several arrests of oil thieves. Image - http://www.cot.navy.mil.ng/images/thumbnails/Pirates_600x0.jpg

GOVERNMENTS of the United Kingdom and the United States of America have expressed their readiness to help Nigeria curb the menace of oil theft, according to a report credited to the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Allison- Madueke while in recently - National Mirror Online. Protracted oil theft has indeed become one of the major problems that appear to have overwhelmed the Federal Government. Recent official figures indicate that the country loses $6 billion (over a trillion naira) annually to oil thieves; and additional hundreds of billions of naira to the theft of refined petroleum products. Just last month, Nigeria’s oil behemoth, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) said the country lost roughly N191 billion ($1.23 billion) to oil theft and pipeline vandalism in the first quarter of this year. The NNPC said daily crude oil production during the period fluctuated between 2.1 million and 2.3 million barrels per day compared with the projected estimate of 2.48mbpd. One report revealed that an estimated 60,000 barrels per day of crude oil is stolen at the Nembe Creek in Rivers State alone, for example. Consequently, we think the gesture of the UK and the US to assist the country in tackling the age-long menace is a welcome development. The collaboration might be rewarding in terms of the acquisition of technology that can make the tracking of oil thieves in Nigeria easier, since the country probably cannot seek out the required gadgets on its own. Ordinarily, it would have been more rewarding for the country to acquire such a technology without having to depend on the assistance of the UK and the US for obvious reasons. Image - Via National Mirror Online

THE quantity of Nigeria’s oil output per day or annually has been shrouded in mystery over the years - Guardian News Nigeria. At the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) held in Houston, Texas, USA, the other day, the matter came up and all Nigerian delegates could do was to lament the situation and attendant woes. According to the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the problem of measurement could be blamed on the increasing sophistication of oil theft in the Niger Delta. Oil theft, according to her, accounted for an estimated total losses of over 300,000 barrels per day, or, about $1 billion (N160 billion) a month in revenue. Oil theft has reached an alarming dimension in the Niger Delta. The recent disclosure by Shell Producing Development Company (SPDC), which manages the Bonny Oil and Gas Terminal, that the nation’s economy lost a whopping $4.3 billion to oil thieves in the last two years at an average rate of $2.3 billion annually, underscores the tragic nature of the problem.

THE Naval component of Bayelsa State security outfit, ‘Operation Doo Akpoo’ and Bayelsa State police command have discovered a cache of arms in Koulama, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State - Sun news Online. This is just as the Naval Central Command has reiterated its determination to stamp out oil bunkering by beefing up patrol in the waterways. Governor Henry Seriake Dickson had raised the alarm recently that some political elements had completed plans to destabilise Bayelsa State, being the home state of President Goodluck Jonathan because of the 2015 presidential election. Eyewitness account in Koualama stated that four naval gunboats with naval personnel and armed policemen stormed the community on Sunday night and went straight to a house, which was deserted as of the time of their arrival and after a thorough search they dug out arms and ammunition

SOME groups of ex-militants in Delta State have threatened to go back to the creeks and attack oil installations if the federal government and the Amnesty Office failed to pay the backlogs of allowances allegedly owed them since 2010 within two weeks - This Day Live. The threat of the ex-agitators was contained in a communiqué signed by Eric O. Ajagidi, I.D number C01/B11/A1/14098, Soroh Dorwei Travel, C01/B11/B1/14205, Prince Degbe Jonah, C01/B11/B1/14127 all in Tompolo’s camp with Tomukebiri D. Franklyn, C01/B11/A1/14068, Ikiyan Roland Owei, C03/B10/E2/13477, Arthur Fenetobour Harvest, V02/B10/D5/13375 from the Ezekiel’s camp and made available to journalists in Akure, Ondo State. According to the communiqué, the ex-militants lamented that they have been facing serious hardship and frustrations for the past three years over the unpaid allowance, saying all efforts to resolve the issue had not yielded positive result. They lamented that after embracing amnesty and undergoing non-violence training at Obubra in Cross River State with others being trained outside the country, their monthly allowances have not been remitted to their individuals bank accounts. The ex-militants, therefore, threatened to use violent approaches to pursue their demands, threatening to blow off oil installations in the state if the concerned authorities did not correct the anomaly within the stipulated period of two weeks.

THERE is a cloud of uncertainty over the whereabouts of 17 foreign and Nigerian oil workers kidnapped by suspected sea pirates in Bayelsa State - Sun News Online. The police authorities, the Nigerian Navy and the Joint Military Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, have refused to comment on the disappearance of the oil workers. Checks indicated that 12 Pakistani and five Nigerians working for Val Oil Trading were attacked by suspected sea pirates on board an oil vessel, MT Matrix, and whisked to an unknown destination. Investigations revealed that victims of the attack, which occurred along the deep sea between Bayelsa and Rivers states had been difficult to trace by naval personnel at the Forward Operational Base (FOB), Formoso. However, security sources said the State Security Service (SSS), which had been investigating series of kidnappings in Bayelsa State had moved to investigate the attack. Meanwhile, the Central Naval Command (CNC) has paraded 14 suspected oil thieves arrested along Brass and Sangana waterways after failing to produce a proper clearance from the CNC.

Southeast Asia THE introduction of high-tech sensors and communications equipment by the countries of the Indian Ocean Rim has brought benefits to the region, but much still needs to be done, according to attendees and speakers at the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in Cape Town - Defence Pakistan. The IONS Sessions on Sharing Information and the Collaborative Response today, presented to naval members of some 38 Indian Ocean and other interested nations, indicated that the application of new technology makes dealing with crime, pollution and disasters on the high seas a much quicker and more effective process when countries cooperate effectively. Maritime Search and Rescue Coordinating Centres (MRCCs) are regional nodes which facilitate search and rescue. Using the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), among others, they identify vessels in distress (“alerting”), locate vessels, co-ordinate search and rescue and communications and issue maritime safety bulletins. Captain King Chiragi, Tanzania’s Director of Maritime Safety and Security, highlighted the need for cooperation between MRCCs in ensuring safe sea lanes where authorities need to reach ships in distress. Situational Awareness, whether for shore-based authorities, civil or military facilities, or ships at sea, is of vital importance, Chiragi said. For military and civil authorities, systems and radar can show the positions and courses of dozens of ships, but Chiragi pointed out the fact that it can become difficult when it comes to countries sharing information across national boundaries in pursuit of maritime criminals, whether pirates or smugglers, and the MRCCs are a very helpful tool in overcoming this information challenge. The centres are also highly effective tools for search and rescue operations, Captain Chiragi added.

South Amercia U.S. Vice President Biden met on Tuesday with the Prime Ministers, Presidents, and senior ministry personnel from 15 Caribbean nations in Port of , Trinidad and Tobago, where they discussed the comprehensive regional partnership to improve citizen security in the Caribbean - Latin American Herald Tribune. Working together in support of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), the United States and the nations of the Caribbean are combating the drug trade and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security. This partnership fulfills the commitment to deepen regional security cooperation that President Barack Obama made at the 2009 Summit of the Americas. CBSI is part of an integrated citizen security effort that includes the Merida Initiative in , the Central America Regional Security Initiative, and the Colombia Strategic Development Initiative. The United States, CARICOM member nations, and the Dominican Republic are improving citizen safety throughout the Caribbean by working together to:  Substantially reduce illicit trafficking,  Increase public safety and security, and  Promote social justice.

SHIPMANAGERS Leonhardt & Blumberg of Hamburg, Germany operators of container vessel "HANSA MARBURG", is pleased and relieved to report that the 4 seafarers who were taken from the vessel by armed men 130 miles south west of Malabo, Equatorial Guinea and held hostage, have now been released - OCEANUSLive. The vessel was attacked by criminal gangs in the Gulf Of Guinea on April 22 and four seafarers were taken hostage. The four seafarers, including Ukrainian, Russian and Kiribati citizens were confirmed as being safe and in good spirits after 31 days in captivity. Leonhardt & Blumberg is delighted that the crew members have been released and the company wishes to thank each of them for their courage and fortitude in dealing with this very difficult situation in such a professional manner; also to thank the families of those being held for their patience and courage at such a difficult and worrying time.

ADORED and detested, pirates evoke moral and ethical ambivalence: and piracy as a term of law has always been exceptionally vulnerable to political agendas - Critical Legal Thinking. More precisely, it has always been a term of both high imperial/hegemonic art, and significant radical potential. As such, it is a word with a weighty history of complex moral and ethical loading and reloading. But it always invokes a refusal of juridification: it is a term that defines the margins of criminal and international law as juridical categories.

Pirates are a recurring symbol of the ocean as a space beyond jurisdiction and the juridification of thought itself: as such, both known and hidden pirates arguably estrange historical thinking. Piracy is a form of violence that challenges discourses that attempt to shore-up spaces that assert a moral monopoly on violence: and piracy is a form of textual transgression that chal- lenges the very ability of the law to draw boundaries. But even as piracy is a form of violence, it constitutes a challenge to the very violence involved in writing itself. The relationship between piracy and the law directs us to question the constitution of the human condition itself.

The University of Southampton workshop will aim to explicate and explore the multiple significations of piracy, and to track the implications of these significations for both abstract and practical notions of justice.

Organised by the Centre for Law Ethics and Globalisation (LEAG), University of Southampton Law School; English at the University of Southampton; and the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute 21-22 June 2013.

Italian Marines NSTR

NSTR

THE anti-piracy team within the Gulf Cooperation Council has met in Abu Dhabi to discuss the necessary measures to protect national interests against maritime piracy threats - Gulfship News. The meeting was hosted by the United Arab Emirates National Transport Authority and will conclude today, having discussed the use of armed security personnel on national vessels and foreign vessels that come to GCC ports.

THE Arabian Sea has been in the limelight in regional and international forums since long due to its economic potential and geo-strategic importance. It covers a total area of about 3,862,000 sq km, writes Naghmana Zafar - DAWN.com. The maritime waterways of the region extend into the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea through the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb. In the North-West, it leads to the Gulf of Oman and the strategic waters of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. The Arabian Sea acts as a vital trade corridor between Asian and European states. And the choke points mentioned above are significant for global trade and energy supply. It is estimated that at least 23 per cent of global shipping transits take place through these points. Any disruption of sea routes in the region is likely to worsen the global financial crisis, which might prove catastrophic for many fragile and developing economies. The inter-state animosities among the littoral states of the Arabian Sea and the presence of extra-regional powers have made regional peace more complex than ever. The presence of extra-regional actors to safeguard their interests in the region has made it a permanent theatre of their operations. The competition for influence between India and China is also shaping the contours of maritime security. Moreover, the international embargo on Iran has also put the region’s maritime security at stake. The piracy around the Horn of Africa and other maritime crimes have compelled the regional and world powers to maintain and improve the maritime security in the Arabian Sea on a permanent basis.

MORE than 6 billion USD has been lost in the past ten years in Eastern and Southern African countries due to Somali piracy, which has caused the country's economic retrogression since its instability - AllAfrica. Deputy Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Transport, Mr John Mngodo, said during the opening of a three-day seminar in Dar es Salaam organised by the Surface and Marine Transport Regulatory Authority (Sumatra), that the seminar's aim was to increase the capacity of senior maritime officials to be able to tackle piracy in the Indian Ocean. Mr Mngodo said the security of ports had to be addressed because the country aimed at providing standardised security of ports and facilities to reduce increased costs of shipping. "Maritime security is a major component of the economy of our country, so we aim to address the root causes of piracy in Somalia to assure security in our country," he said. He added that the Shipping Act of 2003 had enabled the country to tackle international shipping insecurity. "The effects of piracy have been felt by our country and it needs political intervention to face the challenges so that security and safety will once again bring cruise ships which stopped operating in or waters for fear of being hijacked by pirates," Mr Mngodo said.

Pirate Fishing NSTR

AN administration ally on Monday raised concern over the increasing number of attacks and hijacking by Somali pirates, stressing that the government should draw up measures to ensure the safety of Filipino seafarers in the open seas - Manila Standard Today. Citing the International Maritime Bureau-Piracy Reporting Centre, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said that on July 16, 2012, a total of 180 attacks and 20 hijackings by Somali pirates had been recorded—where 212 hostages and 11 vessels were held captive, Rodriguez disclosed. The Department of Foreign Affairs to make representations with the IMB-PRC, the world’s only manned centre receiving and disseminating reports of piracy and armed robbery 24 hours a day across the globe, to come up with guidelines that could help protect and provide assistance to Filipino seafarers in cases of attacks by pirates in the seas. Rodriguez said DFA records showed that about 45 Filipino seafarers on board five ships were held captive by Somali pirates on July 3, 2012 with some reportedly in detention since March 29, 2012.

Aid Workers' Plight NSTR

The following is from the January, 1972 issue of Proceedings. FOR 112 years, the Tripoli Monument has stood on the grounds of the U. S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, but its unique and tumultuous history began long before 1860 - USNI.org. Originally erected at the Washington Navy Yard in 1808, it was the Federal capital’s first monument and for a period of 35 years the only monument in the District of Columbia. It witnessed and weathered the War of 1812; the building, burning, and rebuilding of the Capitol, and the slow establishment of the city itself. For 52 years, its existence was plagued with uncertainties and agitations. The idea for the memorial rose amidst the rage and ruin of the war against the Barbary Pirates of North Africa, the first formal war under the young nation’s Constitution. Success of the small fleet in Mediterranean waters marked the rebirth of naval power, which had been disbanded after the Revolutionary War, as well as the emergence of the Navy as a permanent force. Image - Via USNI

THE pirate ant might not be able to make you walk the plank, but dark-colored patches around their eyes certainly make this new species look like they could bully ants off a ship - News Watch National Geo. Discovered by scientists from the University of Regensburg while on a trip to the Philippines, Cardiocondyla pirata was found living under a rock—literally. Postdoctoral fellow and ant researcher Sabine Frohschammer was searching for Cardiocondyla ants in a shady streambed when she saw individuals that didn’t look like any other known species. “Due to the darkness of the rainforest and the translucent body parts of the tiny ants, they were nearly invisible,” Frohschammer said in a press release. As she looked more closely, however, Frohschammer knew she had found something special. Some of the females she had gathered had unusual coloration around their eyes—dark patches that reminded Frohschammer of the eye patches worn by some pirates. Image - National Geo

Hijacks:

 SE Asia - LATE Report | Malaysia-flagged fishing vessel, PKFB(U2) 1532, at 2300 LT while carrying out fishing activities was attacked and hijacked by pirates and sailed to Indonesian territorial waters. On 25 May, Indonesian Marine Police detained the fishing vessel. Full report awaited. Original reported 7 May.

Unsuccessful Attacks/Robberies (All regions):

 SE Asia - LATE Report | While tug boat Crest Jade 1 was towing barge Crest 2825 at 2100 LT in position 01:15.60N - 104:07.62E, Straits of Malacca and Singapore, proceeding from Singapore to Labuan, Malaysia, the Master and crew spotted two thieves aboard Crest 2825. The Master activated the emergency alarm immediately to alert the crew and manoeuvred the tugboat alongside Crest 2825. The thieves fled on a small boat and stole the emergency towing gear. The crew was not injured. Reported (via ReCAAP) 12 May.  SE Asia - During discharge operations, at berth, Liberia-flagged product tanker,Golden Adventure, was boarded by robbers armed with knives at 0100 LT in position 22:16.62N – 091:48.02E, Chittagong Port, Bangladesh. Robbers were noticed by the local watchman who immediately raised the alarm. The crew and watchman proceeded to the location armed with long sticks and metal pipes. Seeing the approaching crew the robbers jumped overboard and tried to escape with a mooring line which the crew successfully recovered. Port authorities informed and no action taken. Reported (via IMB) 23 May.  Med - Crew on board the anchored Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, B Elephant, at 0545 LT in position 31:12N - 029:42E, Alexandria Waiting Area Achorage, Egypt, noticed the forecastle door and rope hatch opened and ship’s equipment and stores stolen. It was suspected the theft occurred during the night. Robbers likely boarded via anchor chain. Reported 23 May.  Gulf of Guinea - Nigeria-flagged tanker Matrix I enroute from Cotonou, Benin to Idoho field, Nigeria (South Akwa Ibom state) when came under attack and boarded by unknown number of pirates at 0220 LT in position 03:45.2N – 005:34E, approx 42nm WSW of Cap Formoso. Pirates left the vessel later, kidnapping 7 crew members, all Pakistani (17 crew members (12 Pakistanis and 5 Nigerians)). Reported 25 May.  S America (P) - Around six armed persons with shotguns in a speed boat boarded Liberia-flagged container ship, Rio Eider, underway with pilot and unarmed security guards on board at 0510 LT in position 02:20S - 081:00W, Estero Salado, Guayaquil, Ecuador. On investigation it was discovered container seals broken but nothing stolen. Reported 27 May.

Suspicious Activity

 Red Sea - Malta-flagged tanker observed 3 x Skiffs, 4 POB, moving east to west 18Knts at 15:45 UTC in position 12:56N - 043:10E, BAM, Red Sea, approx 25nm ESE of Assab, Eritrea. Skiffs aggressively approached vessel to starboard of tanker closing to within 200m. No indication of details of vessel to starboard of tanker, but possibly large fishing vessel. Reported 26 May.  Red Sea - Liberia-flagged oil product tanker reported via VHF that PAG of two skiffs moving fast towards vessel at 1320 UTC in position 13:18N - 042:57E, approx 21nm ENE of Assab, Eritrea, Red Sea. No other information given. Japanese warship attempted to contact the MV via VHF, however no VHF traffic about situation received. Reported 27 May.

VESSEL and hostage numbers - IMB (as at 14 May). Worldwide Incidents 2013: 100 reported incidents including four hijackings. Somali related incidents 2013: Six reported Incidents including one hijacking. Current crew / vessels held by Somali pirates: hostages - 71 / vessels - 5 Nigeria related incidents 2013: 19 reported incidents including one hijacking. NATO & EUNAVFOR state Vessels: 2 and Hostages: 54. UKMTO - 7 vessels (including dhows & FVs), 73 hostages.

VESSELS are reminded that the coalition forces' warships may not be in the vicinity of a pirate attack, subsequently, it is emphasised that seafarers can greatly reduce their chances of being pirated if they follow precautions as recommended in the Best Management Practices, increasing speed and carrying out evasive manoeuvres is a proven deterrent to piracy attacks. BMP version 4 is available at the link above; a high resolution version can be downloaded here.

VESSELS are advised to exercise extreme caution when navigating in the vicinity of any reported positions of attacks and maintain maximum CPA with any ship acting suspiciously. Additionally, registration of vessel movement with MSC(HOA) prior to transiting the region is recommended.

A change of regional map in light of the increase in pirate activity off West Africa over Horn of Africa. An interactive version of this situational map is available through registration of verified access to OCEANUSLive

Reported incidents in the Horn of Africa/IOR HRA. OCEANUSLive.org permits the reproduction of this image providing source and link are published (Map ToU)

Note: OCEANUSLive accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of content not under our control. Every effort is made to maintain the original content as published.