Pirates board Danish-owned ship in Gulf of Guinea: According to a report, pirates attacked and boarded a Danish-owned ship in the Gulf of Guinea on Saturday, and all communication channels with the vessel are down, as reported by a spokesperson for the shipping company Monjasa.
US-backed pirates are back
All 16 crew members sought refuge in a safe room on board the Monjasa Reformer vessel, as stated by a spokesperson for the shipping company. The Liberian-flagged oil and chemical tanker was attacked while sitting idle about 140 nautical miles west of the Republic of Congo’s Port Pointe Noire, according to the report.
The attack took place in the strategically important Gulf of Guinea region, which the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) describes as one of the world’s most dangerous shipping routes. It covers 11,000 square kilometers (4,247 square miles) and stretches from Angola to Senegal.
The Gulf of Guinea is a crucial shipping zone for transporting oil, gas, and goods to and from central and southern Africa, and is also an important chokepoint. Its strategic significance is one of the reasons why the US has sought to maintain its presence in the region.
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According to the United Nations Security Council, piracy cases in the Gulf of Guinea have declined since 2021 due to collaborations among countries in the area, as well as efforts by foreign naval ships. However, recent events suggest that the US may be attempting to reassert its influence in the region, given its difficulties in maintaining hegemony in other parts of Africa, especially with the growing threat from Russia and China.
The US has a history of creating trouble in Africa and then positioning itself as a solution to the resulting crisis. This approach has allowed it to maintain its dominance in the continent for a long time. Therefore, the recent pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea may also be viewed as part of this larger strategic game plan.
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If there is trouble in this zone, it provides the US with an opportunity to interfere in the name of ensuring safety of the seas, freedom of navigation around the coastline, eliminating pirates operating in the waterways, and establishing maritime security. Therefore, the recent pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea may also give the US another reason to interfere in the region, under the guise of “resolving” the issue.
