Pirates launch deadly attack on cargo ship off Nigeria
January 24, 2021
The Gulf of Guinea, where the attack took place, is considered the most dangerous sea in the world for piracy. One crew member was killed and 15 others were taken hostage after a struggle on board.
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Pirates attacked a Turkish cargo ship off the West African coast, killing a sailor and kidnapping 15 others, officials said Sunday.
The M/V Mozart, which sails under a Liberian flag, was traveling from the Nigerian city of Lagos to Cape Town, South Africa, when the attack took place.
The abducted crew members are reportedly from Turkey.
Turkey's Maritime Directorate said the man who was killed was an engineer from Azerbaijan.
What happened?
The ship was attacked 185 kilometers (100 nautical miles) northwest of the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe in the Gulf of Guinea on Saturday morning.
Turkey's Maritime Directorate said the crew initially locked themselves in a safe area but the pirates forced entry after six hours. The engineer died during the struggle.
After taking most of the crew hostage on Saturday, the pirates left the ship in the Gulf of Guinea with three sailors aboard, Turkish state-run Anadolu news agency said.
Before they left, the pirates disabled most of the ship's systems, leaving only the navigation system for the remaining crew members to find their way to port, according to reports.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has twice spoken to the senior officer remaining on the ship, the Turkish presidency said in a tweet.
Pirate attacks cross Africa
Attacks on ships by pirates off the Horn of Africa have been declining since security in the region's waters has increased. But now the problem is on the rise in the Gulf of Guinea.
Image: Getty Images
An intercontinental problem
Attacks on ships by pirates off the Horn of Africa have been declining since Operation Atalanta, a European mission to secure the region's water for shipping, got underway in 2008. But now the problem is on the rise in the Gulf of Guinea.
Image: AP Photo/Farah Abdi Warsameh
Piracy spreads west
The International Maritime Bureau in London, which monitors pirate activities, has reported at least 10 incidents in the Gulf of Aden and at least 28 in the Gulf of Guinea in 2013. The number of attacks on the Horn of Africa has been falling steadily.
Environmental beginnings
Failed governance in Somalia led to overfishing of its coastline by other countries in the early 1990s. Toxic waste was subsequently dumped in its waters, crippling the local fishing industry. The combination of factors caused some Somalis to resort to piracy, while others later determined it was a good way to make money. Piracy surged in Somali waters in the late 2000s.
Image: AFP/Getty Images
Crackdown shows results
Pirate attacks along the Horn of Africa have decreased since the international naval presence there was bolstered. In 2012, 35 ships were attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia, compared with 163 in 2009. In former piracy hotspots, locals are more concerned about fishing than capturing cargo ships.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
On trial in foreign courts
Those captured and accused of piracy can face trial far from their home countries. Where they end up depends on who catches them or the ship they attacked. In 2012, for example, 10 Somalis were sentenced to jail by a Hamburg court for attacking a German-flagged ship. The UN and EU are backing efforts to improve the judicial systems closer to where pirates operate.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Trend toward more violence
West African pirates' methods can be more violent than those off the Horn of Africa. While Somali pirates know they will forfeit ransom if their hostages come to harm, pirates in the west are mainly interested in the oil or valuable cargo on board and less concerned about the people. Their hijacking methods are similar - approaching large vessels out at sea in small craft.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
Haves and have-nots
In the West, Nigeria has been exporting oil for the past 20 years, but most of its people have not benefited from the extensive revenues. Almost two-thirds of Nigeria's population lives below the poverty line. To those without livelihoods, the risks of piracy can seem worth it. Political instability and social conflict have left room for pirate gangs to consolidate in the Gulf of Guinea.
Image: AP
No easy fix
While a heavy international military presence was effective in reducing piracy near Somalia, the same solution cannot easily be applied to the Gulf of Guinea. As those countries are sovereign states, their own authorities must work together to find a solution. Still, international interest in finding an answer is high, especially since the region supplies 20 percent of Europe's oil and gas.
Image: AP
Options for a better life
The key to reducing piracy is improving people's lives on land. The challenges are vast - from improving judicial systems to creating a sustainable economy to effectively managing the consequences of natural disasters - like here in a Somali food aid facility where families received rations during a severe drought in 2012.
Image: Getty Images
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What happens now?
The vessel is currently heading to Port-Gentil in the Central African state of Gabon.
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said "coordinated negotiations" were underway to secure the release of the abducted sailors.
"The pirates have yet to make any response," he said.
The Gulf of Guinea, off the coasts of Nigeria, Guinea, Togo, Benin and Cameroon, is the most dangerous sea in the world for piracy, according to the bureau.
In July 2019, 10 Turkish seamen were kidnapped off the coast of Nigeria. They were released less than a month later.
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