The head of the UN organisation for maritime issues has warned shipping companies to be on high alert for piracy off the African coast after ship seizures in recent months raised concerns that diversions away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal would prompt an increase in hijackings.
Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, said his organisation had spoken to the authorities in Somalia, in east Africa, and countries around the Gulf of Guinea on the western side of the continent. They had discussed efforts to ensure piracy did not again become a grave problem.
Many shipping companies have since December diverted sailings away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal to routes to avoid attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. This has sent vessels into waters in the Indian Ocean and off West Africa that generally attract less traffic.