New York (Union)
Yesterday, the head of the United Nations International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, warned shipping companies to be on “high alert” in anticipation of piracy incidents off the African coast, which has become a major destination for a number of tankers, after the increase in Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
Dominguez stated in press statements that his organization spoke to the authorities in Somalia, East Africa, and the countries surrounding the Gulf of Guinea on the western side of the continent regarding the efforts made to ensure freedom of transportation, and that piracy does not become a serious problem again. Since last December, many shipping companies have diverted their flights away from the Red Sea to avoid Houthi attacks in Yemen. The head of the International Maritime Organization considered that ships were still taking security precautions off the African coast, and urged companies to return to the strict security levels during the previous piracy crisis, which Somalia witnessed from 2008 to 2012.
One of the ships hijacked last December remains trapped off the coast of Somalia, while pirates briefly seized another bulk carrier in January before it was freed by the Indian Navy. In West Africa, last January, pirates kidnapped some crew members of a tanker off the coast of Equatorial Guinea.
“We are holding talks to educate countries surrounding the Gulf of Guinea about the dangers of piracy,” Dominguez said.
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