Why did the former "Golden Sea Road" become the "Sea of Thieves"
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The Gulf of Guinea waters in West Africa has become the most common area of pirate attacks in the world.
In the past few years, the Gulf of Aden, where pirates were once rampant, has gradually changed from a “piracy paradise” to a “calm”, which is a successful example of international cooperation and joint crackdown.
It is hoped that with the joint efforts of all countries, this "golden seaway" in the Gulf of Guinea can also regain its former peace and security.
In the first nine months of 2020, a total of 132 piracy incidents were reported globally, up from 119 in the same period last year. Most of these incidents occurred in the Gulf of Guinea.
According to a report issued by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), since 2002, more than 610 piracy attacks have occurred in the Gulf of Guinea, and this area has become the most common area for piracy attacks in the world.
Why has the once "Golden Sea Road" become the "Sea of Thieves"?
One
On November 14, the Italian Navy announced on its official website that the "Martinengo" frigate, which was on patrol in the Gulf of Guinea, had attacked the "Zhenhua 7" merchant ship (Liberia flag with a crew of Chinese nationality) implemented assistance.
According to CCTV.com, after the Italian ship approached and contacted the attacked merchant ship, it was informed that the pirates had escaped and some crew members suffered gunshot wounds and needed medical treatment, so they dispatched a marine squad to board the ship to confirm safety and assist in medical rescue work. .
In its announcement, the Italian Navy emphasized that due to a similar pirate attack a few days ago, this incident once again proved that the Gulf of Guinea is becoming one of the most dangerous sea areas in the world.
On July 2 this year, a freighter owned by Singapore Shipping Group Pacific Shipping Company was forcibly boarded by pirates and abducted five Chinese crew members through threats of force.
Similarly, due to recent incidents of Korean crew being hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, the South Korean government intends to restrict its citizens from fishing in the relevant waters.
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported that there has been a surge in violent hostage-taking and seafarer abductions in West African waters in 2020.
In the first half of the year, a total of 49 crew members were kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea for ransom, and some were even imprisoned for up to 6 weeks.
two
In the past year, the number of piracy incidents worldwide has shown a downward trend.
The well-known Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden have almost disappeared under the increased escort and continuous strikes of the navies of various countries.
The Gulf of Guinea is taking its place as the most dangerous sea area in the world.
Located on the coast of West Africa, the Gulf of Guinea covers the sea from Cape Verde in the west to Angola in a broad geographical sense. It is the largest bay in Africa.
This triangular sea area, which extends from Senegal to Angola about 5,700 kilometers, has superior natural conditions and few extreme weather. There are many natural deep-water ports along the coast and sea transportation is convenient.
The Gulf of Guinea is an important oil-producing area in the world. There are more proven oil reserves in 8 countries along the coast, and this area is therefore called the "Persian Gulf of Africa".
Coupled with the need to export cash crops such as peanuts and rubber, it is extremely dependent on shipping-based import and export trade. As the former "golden seaway", the Gulf of Guinea was once one of the busiest routes in the world.
In 2010, the International Maritime Organization listed the coast of West Africa as one of the world's six hot spots for piracy in its annual report.
According to the report, piracy in the Gulf of Guinea not only endangers the coastal countries in the region, but also endangers landlocked countries that rely on sea imports and exports.
It is estimated that the current economic losses caused by piracy are as high as US$2 billion per year.
Especially after the outbreak of the new crown pneumonia this year, the crew was already facing abnormal pressure. The frequent occurrence of piracy and the surge in armed robbery made the ships sailing in the Gulf of Guinea "exacerbate the situation."
three
Some experts have analyzed the reasons for the rampant piracy in the Gulf of Guinea. On the one hand, it is due to the perennial political turmoil in some African countries along the coast, the domestic economic downturn, the high unemployment rate of young people, frequent civil wars and tribal conflicts, and countries have no time to take into account the problem of piracy.
On the other hand, countries are often powerless to fight crimes on borders with neighboring countries.
Most African countries have lagging behind in naval power building, poor naval equipment, and lack of specialized maritime law enforcement capabilities.
Weak law enforcement is one of the reasons why the piracy problem has been delayed.
The increasingly rampant piracy activities in the Gulf of Guinea have attracted continued attention from the international community.
The UN Security Council has repeatedly passed resolutions calling for the formulation and adoption of effective measures to combat piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea and strengthen maritime safety and security.
Relevant experts believe that the international community should provide assistance and jointly participate in the fight against piracy on the premise of respecting the dominant power of the countries along the Gulf of Guinea.
For example, actively participate in the construction, operation and maintenance of infrastructure such as ports in coastal countries; support coastal countries to strengthen ship docking, replenishment and maintenance capabilities, and improve logistics support; help coastal countries to strengthen maritime security force training, and improve joint law enforcement and monitoring capabilities .
At the same time, the role of regional and subregional organizations should be further brought into play to establish a regional long-term mechanism; resources should be mobilized to strengthen international cooperation against piracy in the Gulf of Guinea; and development assistance to coastal countries should be increased.
According to analysts, in the past few years, the Gulf of Aden, where pirates were once rampant, has gradually changed from a "piracy paradise" to a "calm", which is a successful example of international cooperation and joint crackdown.
It is hoped that with the joint efforts of all countries, this "golden seaway" in the Gulf of Guinea can also regain its former peace and security.