Attack on Danish-owned vessel in the Gulf of Guinea highlights the continued threat from piracy and the need for sustained, coordinated efforts.

Danish-owned vessel ‘Monjasa Reformer’ was attacked last Saturday by pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, reportedly resulting in the kidnapping of members of the crew.

Following a relatively stable period in the area, this incident shows that piracy off the coast of West Africa remains a serious threat to the safety of our seafarers and the security of international shipping lanes. It is crucial that our seafarers can perform their work safely and without fear.

This incident highlights the need for continued and coordinated efforts by regional and international actors. In this context, European shipowners continue to fully support the EU’s efforts to fight piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, including the EU’s Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP) mechanism launched in January 2021, which seeks to improve coordination of EU Member State assets in the region.  While shipowners continue to play their role to mitigate the risk, governments and EU actions remain crucial through the deployment of adequate naval assets, capacity building and support to the Yaoundé Architecture.