Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea remains a stumbling block for investment into West Africa.Shipping lines operating in the area have indicated a rise in attacks, resulting in more pressure on governments in the region to address the issue.According to the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), while the world’s attention has been diverted by Covid-19, pirates have taken the opportunity to ratchet up their attacks on vessels.“The ICS is particularly concerned by the deteriorating security situation in the Gulf of Guinea where there has been a sharp increase in the number of attacks on ships’ crews, many extremely violent, currently accounting for some 90% of maritime kidnappings worldwide,” it said in a recent statement. “Whereas the majority of attacks against ships off West Africa in recent years took place in territorial waters, intervention by foreign military vessels is politically problematic, with many vessels now being attacked and boarded by pirates well outside territorial limits.”One shipping line told Freight News it was no longer good enough to just set up safe corridors for vessels with armed escorts and gunboats, but that there was a need for the deployment of military units, as was the case in East Africa.He said while the cargo was still a primary attraction, pirates were seizing the opportunity to kidnap seafarers, who were predominantly taken to Nigeria where they were held for ransom.
