Singapore flagged product tanker Success 9 has been boarded 310nm SSW Abidjan, Dryad Global’s latest Maritime Security Threat Advisory (MSTA) stated.
“It is understood that the vessel was boarded by an unknown number of perpetrators and the situation is ongoing,” The MSTA noted.
“The incident is the latest in a series of incidents involving the targeting of product vessels providing regional bunker services within West Africa,” the MSTA added.
“The latest incidents occurred 72nm SE of an incident involving the MT B Ocean on November 23, 2022,” the MSTA continued.
In a statement posted on its website on Wednesday, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it had received a report that the Singapore-registered oil tanker Success 9 “was boarded by unidentified persons at about 300 nautical miles off the Abidjan Coast, Cote d’lvoire on April 10, 2023, at about 10pm (Singapore time)”.
“There are 20 crew of various nationalities onboard the vessel, of which one of them is a Singapore citizen,” the MPA added.
In the statement, the MPA said it is working closely with the ship owner, Monrovia Regional Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre and the Information Fusion Centre at the Changi Command and Control Centre “to monitor the situation and render the necessary assistance”.
According to Dryad Global’s latest MSTA, West Africa has seen a total of nine incidents this year, which the MSTA highlights is a 40 percent decrease compared to year ago levels. The number of kidnapped crew in the region so far this year stood at six in the latest MSTA. This figure has already surpassed 2022’s West Africa kidnapped crew figure, the MSTA showed.
China, Russia
Looking at other regions, the latest MSTA also noted that “recent reporting indicated a significant escalation in tension between China and Taiwan”.
“Chinese vessels conducted rehearsed combat operations to the East of Taiwan. As part of the military exercises China’s Fujian maritime safety administration launched a three-day special joint patrol and inspection operation in the central and northern parts of the Taiwan Strait that included moves to board ships,” the MSTA stated.
“The move was rejected by Taiwan’s Transport Ministry’s Maritime and Ports Bureau who called on all commercial operators to ignore any such requests,” the MSTA added.
Within the Black Sea, Russia has called on Western states to remove obstacles for Russian exports, the MSTA said.
“Russia … continues to state that it is willing to withdraw from the Grain Deal unless its wishes are met,” the MSTA noted.
“The deal is currently under 60-day extension with Turkey pushing for a 120-day extension. Russia has suggested that unless its conditions are met it will allow the deal to lapse and seek ways of trading out with the construct of the deal,” the MSTA added.
On March 18, the UN website announced that the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which was signed in Istanbul on July 22, 2022, had been extended.
“The Black Sea Grain Initiative, alongside the Memorandum of Understanding on promoting Russian food products and fertilizers to the world markets, are critical for global food security, especially for developing countries,” the UN said in an organization statement posted on its site last month.
“We remain strongly committed to both agreements and we urge all sides to redouble their efforts to implement them fully,” the UN added.
On November 19, 2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative was extended for 120 days, the UN site shows.
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