Piracy incidents in the Gulf of Guinea

Secretary-General statement on piracy incidents in the Gulf of Guinea

12 April 2023

IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said: 

“I am deeply concerned over the recent kidnapping of six crew members from the MV Monjasa Reformer on 25 March 2023 and reports of an ongoing incident involving a tanker in the Gulf of Guinea.

IMO recognizes the progress that has been made since 2021 in the collective efforts to combat the threat of piracy and the resulting reduction in the number of pirate attacks. IMO urges continued sustainable support to the important work of the regional navies and entities within the Yaoundé Architecture to protect seafarers and to the operational piracy response from the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum (SHADE) and the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea, in keeping with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2634 on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

I would like to appreciate the regional and international efforts to respond to this disturbing incident. I wish to reiterate that the ongoing threat must be addressed cohesively, involving all relevant actors and including regional entities.”