[News] A Chinese tanker hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea. 2nd attack in a fortnight (v2)

(B2) A tanker with a white and red logo on the side disappeared from radar screens about 300 nautical miles south of Abidjan in Côte d'Ivoire at 7°14 North and 4°34 West, announced Monday (April 10) the maritime monitoring center for the Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GOG), established in Brest and Portsmouth. The Success 9, flying the flag of Singapore, operated by the company Hai Soon Group probably captured by hackers.

(updated) CRESMAO, the regional center for maritime security in West Africa, has been put on alert. A P400 patrol boat from the Ivory Coast navy, Rear Admiral Fadika, helped by a French Falcon 50 aircraft from the Dakar base and Spanish resources, set out to find him. All coordinated with the Yaris information sharing system (see also: In the Gulf of Guinea, the secure chat mother of all information).

After five days of searching, the chemical tanker was able to be relocated more than 30 nautical miles off Abidjan on Saturday (April 15). He was escorted to the port of Adidjan by Ivorian patrol boats, including the Sekongo (P1501) " the crew is safe and has received psychological care “We specify on the Ivorian side as well as on the French side.

Danish tanker victim of an attack

This is the second incident in a few days. On March 25, in the evening, a similar collision took place about 140 nautical miles west of Pointe Noire (Congo). With a slightly less optimistic outcome.

A Danish tanker, the Monjasa Reformer, flying the flag of Liberia, had been boarded by five armed pirates who arrived aboard a skiff. The high seas patrol vessel, Premier L'Her of the French Navy, then on stopover in Libreville (Gabon), after the African Nemo exercise, received the order to go to the area, first to the last position known to the tanker (05°03'N-009°35'E).

The hijacked tanker was finally relocated a few days later, Thursday (March 30), en route to Nigeria, by the aerial drone on board, specifies the maritime prefecture of the Atlantic. We can see on the images captured from the air a pirate skiff attached to the tanker. By the time Chief Petty Officer l'Her gets closer, the pirates have flown away. Not without taking a few hostages along the way. Of the 16 sailors of different nationalities in the Monjasa Reformer, six indeed are missing: kidnapped by pirates. Three slightly injured sailors are taken care of by the doctor of the aviso. The tanker will then be escorted to the port of Lomé (Togo).

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

Read also: In the Gulf of Guinea, more structured, bolder pirates

Updated April 17 with information (Cote Ivoire and France) on the relocation of the vessel. Editing the title