Jyllandsposten: Danish frigate Esbern Snare heads to the Gulf of Guinea to fight pirates
As the Danish frigate ‘Esbern Snare’ was sent off towards the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) west of Africa on a mission to fight maritime pirates, Danish newspaper Jyllandsposten interviewed West Africa specialist Dr. Dirk Siebels on the possible impact of the frigate’s mission.
8 November 2021
Last Sunday, the Danish Navy deployed its frigate Esbern Snare on a solo mission to the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa to deter piracy. Around 30-40 Danish operated ships sail through the West African waters every day, and a little over a year ago Danish tanker "Hafnia Phoenix" suddenly found itself surrounded by pirates, approximately 150 km off the coast of Ghana.
Jyllandsposten reports how seafarers, as well as shipping companies including Danish companies Maersk, Torm, and Hafnia, have long pointed to the threat of pirate attacks off the coast of West Africa, asking for a solution. A solution that has now arrived in the shape of a 137.6 meter long frigate with approx. 175 crew members, including a maritime task force, as well as an associated Seahawk helicopter. The Danish mission has been named "Operation Meridian", writes Jyllandsposten, and the Danish frigate is expected to be deployed for approximately five months.
The article outlines how the Gulf of Guinea is often described as "the world's most dangerous waters", but also that the number of attacks has been lower than usual for the past months, according to a report by The International Maritime Bureau (IMB), which registers and collects knowledge about piracy incidents to the navy worldwide.
Asked about the potential impact of the Danish frigate’s deployment to the Gulf of Guinea, Dr. Dirk Siebels, Risk Intelligence’s West Africa specialist, had some concerns that the lack of coordination with other countries could be an obstacle to the overall anti-piracy effort in the Gulf of Guinea.
“I don’t think one vessel makes a difference [to overall security]. The Gulf of Guinea is a very large area to secure,” he said, and adds that several of the West African countries struggle to contain attacks in their own waters.
“But the Danish initiative is still a very important step,” said Siebels, who has previously spoken about the importance of the Danish government’s part in combating the piracy threat.
Read the full article on the Jyllands-Posten website (paywall).
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