From time to time, reports have suggested that foreign fishing operators are accessing and exploiting African flag registries to allow their vessels to operate with legal impunity. The challenges with maritime governance and weaknesses in African flagging regimes further exacerbate this exploitation.
However, now some African countries have also been accused of reflagging Iranian vessels, enabling the transport of illegal materials under sanctions to be carried out easily without facing any penalties.
Vessels using African flags to evade sanctions
African countries, such as Tanzania and Cameroon, have been accused of reflagging Iranian vessels or engaging in false flagging practices. This involves the re-registering of vessels under the flag of a different country to evade penalties.
As a result, Iranian vessels have been able to transport illegal materials under US sanctions, thereby undermining the effectiveness of international sanctions. This poses a challenge to the responsibility of flag states in ensuring compliance.
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As per a report, a Tanzanian-registered tanker owned by Amir Kashiani of Iran capsized and sunk in the Southern Iranian port of Assaluyeh in January. Similarly, earlier instances showed that Iran used Tanzania’s national identity to evade sanctions imposed on its oil tankers.
Although US sanctions have slowed Iran’s imports and exports due to banking and oil sanctions imposed by former US President Trump in 2018, Iran-Tanzania trade reached $70 million in 2022. However, there have been reports of flag-hopping tankers that were detected shipping sanctioned Iranian cargoes. Tanzanian registry had removed four flag-hopping tankers in the past after letters from the US-based NGO United Against Nuclear Iran showed satellite imagery of tankers undertaking ship-to-ship transfers with Iranian-owned ships.
Cameroon has launched an investigation and asked for assistance from the US and the EU to verify the origin of the tankers flying the East African country’s flag. Satellite images obtained by United Against Nuclear Iran revealed that VLCC Roza, a crude oil tanker in Cameroon received a cargo of Iranian oil from another tanker in the waters of Jask, Iran.
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Considering the scenario, it will be interesting to see how the US responds to these developments. However, one thing is clear US sanctions are no longer the “guiding principles” for African countries to conduct business with others. In the interest of trade and mutual benefits, African countries are now trying to get around US sanctions, which further signals the diminishing relevance of the US and its “authority” over Africa.
