Mer et Marine: ‘Gulf of Guinea: Why is piracy at its lowest?‘
Image that captured on camera pirates in the Gulf of Guinea. Source: MINISTERE DE LA DEFENSE RUSSE
Mer et Marine’s Gael Cogné interviewed Risk Intelligence Senior analyst Dr. Dirk Siebels about the piracy situation in the Gulf of Guinea area, where piracy incidents are suddenly at the lowest level for many months. Siebels shared an overview of the situation in the region outlining current risks and potential gains in the regional and international efforts to combat piracy.
22 April 2022
For several months, the waters of the Gulf of Guinea have been strangely calm, writes journalist Gael Cogné in his feature in ‘Mer et Marine‘ before diving deeper into the current situation in the Gulf of Guinea. The article opens with a number of incidents in the area, comparing 2021 with the year 2020, and goes on to outline the current situation with information about the Gulf’s current maritime traffic, the local action taken to combat piracy, the challenge of crude oil theft, and the current risks as well as gains in the fight against West Africa piracy.
The article features Risk Intelligence MaRisk Manager and Senior sub-Saharan Africa analyst, Dr. Dirk Siebels. Asked about the persistent risk as well as potential progress in the Gulf of Guinea, he says: “The risks of getting involved in piracy attacks may actually have increased a little bit in the recent past, due to both regional activities and the presence of international navies. However, this risk has not increased too much, even in 2021, despite many headlines about international naval operations in the Gulf of Guinea.”
Moreover, Siebels says: “There have never been perpetrators or groups who were exclusively engaged in piracy. They have always been part of larger criminal networks which now seem to be concentrating on other activities with larger financial benefit.” Still, Siebels urges caution, as potential pirates “retain the ability to carry out attacks at great distances from the Niger Delta. The situation could change significantly in a relatively short time and therefore needs to be monitored very closely.”
Read the full article in French here.
LEARN MORE:
Do you want to know more about West Africa region? Request access to our latest webinar “West Africa report: Rising fuel prices and other economic factors affecting stability and security”, in which Risk Intelligence senior analyst, Dr. Dirk Siebels, looks at recent figures and events, and identifies key trends which must be monitored to fully understand future West Africa security challenges, both at sea and on land.