Anti-piracy patrol targets Yemen fishermen

BySAEED AL-BATATI, QUSAYIR, YEMEN

A global anti-piracy task force deployed in the Arabian Sea to protect shipping lanes has engaged in invasive and violent searches and seizures of small Yemeni fishing vessels with apparent impunity, fishermen told Asia Times.

Multiple fishermen from Yemen’s southeastern province of Hadramout say international warships, most recently from the Indian navy, have targeted them in deep water and sometimes even in Yemen’s territorial waters. The perceived harassment has spread panic in fishing communities along the Yemeni coast, compelling many to shorten their voyages and others to abandon the profession entirely – some even taking up arms in the war.

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Source: asiatimes.com

Naval service specialists deliver training to Kenyan forces

Royal Marines and Royal Navy specialists have been showing Kenyan security forces how to improve their ability to fight piracy, illegal fishing and drugs trafficking.

Specialists from 1 Assault Group Royal Marines’ Board and Search School and landing craftsmen from 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group travelled to Mombasa – Kenya’s second-largest city and one of Africa’s biggest trading hubs – to deliver training and share expertise.

The contingent, made up of Royal Marines and Royal Navy ranks, were part of the Tri-Service British Peace Support Team, an organisation that aims to aid United Nations and African Union Peace Support Operations.

The training group sought to understand the current situation that is impacting Kenya’s economy and create a coherent strategy for the future as they look to shore up security in the Indian Ocean port.

The training aimed to help Kenyan security forces become better equipped to deal with the threats they face and develop a clear plan to continue protecting their waters.

The majority of Kenyan trade comes through Mombasa and shutting down criminal activity is a priority for the country’s security forces.

Around 30 personnel from a variety of Kenyan agencies came to train and learn how to conduct successful board and search of suspicious vessels.

The first part of the training consisted of classroom-based sessions on board and search operations at sea, before phase two saw coastguard, police and port authority teams work together to practise their new skills in the water.

The training included an opening and closing ceremony attended by high ranking dignitaries, which included a demonstration of the skills learned during the sessions.

A further training package is now being arranged later this year.

Source: royalnavy.mod.uk

Tanzania: State Urged to Amend Penal Code On Ship Piracy

By Faustine Kapama

HIGH Court Judge Yose Mlyambina has advised the State to amend the Penal Code of the United Republic of Tanzania, in particular, and the provisions relating to piracy cases in order to draw closer to the developments at the international level.

Dr Mlyambina made the appeal recently while delivering the first judgment in a piracy case, also the first to be determined in the country’s judicial system.

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Source: allafrica.com

After pirate attack off Somalia, judge orders that 5 suspects are held in Seychelles

Only three out of the five Somali suspects appeared in court on Monday while the other two are receiving medical assistance. (Rassin Vannier)

By: Betymie Bonnelame and Rassin Vannier

(Seychelles News Agency) – Three out of five suspected pirates from Somalia who were transferred to Seychelles by EU NAVFOR last week were remanded until May 13 by the Supreme Court on Monday.

The EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta transferred the five suspects to Seychellois authorities after responding to piracy attacks on 21 April 2019, the local Department of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.

The suspects were transported by Spanish flagship ESPS Navarra and transferred to Seychellois authorities in accordance with a transfer agreement between the Seychelles and the European Union with support from UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Only three out of the five Somali suspects appeared in court on Monday while the other two are receiving medical assistance after they were injured in the piracy attacks.

For humanitarian reasons, Operation Atalanta requested medical assistance from the Seychelles authorities for two of the suspects likely to have been wounded during the piracy attempts.

The case is being heard by Justice Laura Pillay, who remanded the suspects until May 13.

During the court session on Monday, a request was made for appropriate clothes for the detainees and a place for prayer as they are all Muslims.

According to the EU NAVFOR, the incident began on 19 April when five suspected pirates captured a Yemeni dhow off the coast of Somalia. Two days later the pirates attacked the Korean fishing vessel Adria with the dhow acting as a mothership in the Indian Ocean some 280 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia.

On April 23, the EU NAVFOR’s flagship ESPS NAVARRA successfully intercepted and boarded the captured dhow vessel and apprehended the five suspected pirates.

The forces said that this is the first notable piracy incident event since October of last year.

“This incident clearly demonstrates that piracy and armed robbery at sea, off the coast of Somalia, has not been eradicated,” said operation commander Rear Admiral Antonio Martorell.

He added that “the need for a strong maritime security presence in the High-Risk Area remains critical for the deterrence and prevention of future incidents and attacks.”

Source: seychellesnewsagency.com

Iran, Russia preparing to hold joint naval drills in Persian Gulf

BEIRUT, LEBANON (9:45 A.M.) – The naval forces of Iran and Russia are preparing to hold joint drills in the Persian Gulf waters, the Mehr News Agency reported.

Citing Iranian naval commander Rear Admiral Hossein Khanzadi, the Mehr News Agency reported that the joint naval drills will take place in Iran’s southern waters.

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Source: almasdarnews.com

Crew Of Pirates Captured By Spanish Soldiers

The crew of the frigate ‘Navarra’ has carried out the device in the framework of the Atalanta mission; the operation is still open.

Spanish soldiers of the Navarra frigate have intercepted a pirate vessel and captured the crew, which in the previous days had attacked two ships -one of them, Spanish-. The episode took place on the morning of this Tuesday in the waters of the Indian Ocean , in the framework of the Atalanta operation of the European Union to fight against piracy. The device has culminated with the release of a Yemeni fisherman who had been kidnapped for four days.

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Source: maritimeherald.com

Piracy attack off the coast of Somalia

On 21 April, fishing vessels FV Adria and FV Txori Argi were attacked by suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean, 280 NM off the coast of Somalia. The piracy attacks were thwarted, and the crew and vessels remained safe, thanks to the application of Best Management Practices (BMP) protection measures by the Masters, the crews and the private security teams embarked on both fishing vessels.

EU NAVFOR Somalia Operation Atalanta confirms these attacks. It is likely that the attacks were facilitated by a mothership, which was reportedly seized by armed men on 19 April off the central Somali Coast.

EU NAVFOR subsequently dispatched its Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircrafts to search the area. In addition, EU NAVFOR flagship ESPS Navarra left the port in Mombasa in order to proceed into the area.

On 23 April, ESPS NAVARA successfully intercepted and boarded the dhow being used as a mothership.

The operation is still ongoing, and more details will be provided upon completion.
EU NAVFOR remains committed to deterring, preventing and suppressing piracy and emphasizes that the Maritime Industry must adhere to BMP measures in order to maximize the safety of the ship and their crews whilst transiting the high-risk area.

Source: eunavfor.eu

Suspicious Approach – Indian Ocean (April 21st)

Two trawlers were involved in an incident at 0712 UTC in position 00:29S – 048:36E, approx 248nm SE of Mogadishu, Somalia. One trawler approached by two skiffs with 8-10 POB. Second trawler went to provide aid and was fired upon. Embarked AST returned fire and skiffs departed. Crew and vessels are SAFE. Reported (UKMTO) 21 Apr. Via: OCEANUSLive.org

Saudi Arabia’s role in banishing piracy from regional waters

JENNIFER BELL

DUBAI: A decade ago, during the peak years of the Somali piracy crisis, the waters of the Arabian Gulf faced frequent threats from armed criminals at sea, who disrupted the economy by terrorizing shipping routes.

But experts say regional action — with Saudi Arabia at the forefront — has meant crimes on the high seas have dipped to some of the lowest records in years.

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Source: arabnews.com

Task force to co-ordinate regional interventions

By FRED OLUOCH

Countries in the Horn of Africa have formed a task force to co-ordinate regional interventions in the face of threats to marine resources and security around the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The team was formed on Thursday in Nairobi by the Committee of Ambassadors from the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (Igad) partner states of Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, Somalia and South Sudan.

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Source: theeastafrican.co.ke