Access the latest Maritime Security Threat Advisory for the week commencing 19th December 2022.

👉 Within the last reporting period kidnapping has returned to the waters of the Gulf of Guinea with two personnel understood to have been kidnapped following the temporary hijack of the Crew Transport vessel the MV FERNANDE. The incident closely followed an incident the previous day during which an MV was approached by a skiff and fired upon, with no attempt to board made. It is highly likely that the incident was perpetuated by the same grouping. Incidents within the eastern Gulf of Guinea beyond Nigerian waters have presented an attractive operating ground for pirate action groups due to the comparative lack of maritime security infrastructure. This has afforded pirates a degree of freedom of movement, which resulted in a number of incidents involving crews kidnapped in the vicinity of Bioko Island.

👉 Within the wider Indian Ocean region, the EU Op ATLANTA maritime security mission has been extend- ed for a further two years. Egypt has assumed responsibility for CTF-153 within the Red Sea area and set against the backdrop of continuing internal disquiet in Iran, media outlets loyal to the regime call for Iranian forces to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to what it cites as foreign intervention. The closure of the SoH is a popular call in Iran, especially in times of turbulence however in reality Iran processes little capability to realise this. Further still this would be significantly against Iranian strategies interests.