Suppressing maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea: the prospects and challenges of the regional players

ABSTRACT

The Gulf of Guinea (GoG) has emerged as the new hotspot of piracy and armed robbery against ships. This development is coming after a similar threat is declining off the East coast of Africa, thanks to all the naval powers that intervene in the region. The efforts to suppress piracy in the GoG have been led by regional players and supported by the international community. Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Benin among others have contributed notable efforts to suppress piracy in the GoG. The improvement in naval presence, maritime policing and target harden in the region have increased the number of intercepted, captured and killed pirates as well as foiled attacks, rescued victims and destroyed sanctuaries. Nevertheless, the available security presence remains insufficient to deter every attack, especially as the motivations for piracy persist in the region. This study examines the efforts committed against piracy in the GoG, some of the achievements so far and the challenges encountered, and suggests possible ways forward on a comparative basis with the record of headways in the East coast of Africa.

Note on contributor

Mr Samuel Oyewole just completed his MSc in Political Science from the University of Ilorin, Nigeria. His research interests cover African affairs, military and strategic studies, crisis management and political economy. His articles have appeared in many learned journals, including Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, African Security Review, Defense and Security Analysis, Journal of Asian and African Studies, New Zealand International Review, The Thinkers, Politeia, and Strategic Analysis.

Notes

1 ‘Jens Madsen et al., “The State of Maritime Piracy 2013,” Ocean Beyond Piracy, A project of One Earth Future Foundation, 2014; Daniel Whiteneck, John Ivancovich and Kim Hall, Piracy Enterprises in Africa (Alexandria, VA: CAN Analysis and Solution, 2011).

2 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships: Report for the Period of 1 January – 31 December 2013 (London: ICC-IMB, 2014), 24.

3 ‘Jens Madsen et al., “The State of Maritime Piracy 2013;” Martin Murphy, “Somali Piracy: Why Should We Care?” RUSI Journal, 156(6) (2012): 4–11.

4 Adjoa Anyimadu, Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea: Lessons Learned from the Indian Ocean (London: Chatham House, 2013); Sandra L. Hodgkinson, “Current Trends in Global Piracy: Can Somalia's Successes Help Combat Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and Elsewhere?” Case Western Reserve Journal of International Law, Vol. 46, (2013), 145–160.

5 Lere Amusan and Samuel Oyewole, “The Quest for Hegemony and the Future of African Solution to African Development Problems: Lessons from Headways in African Security Sector,” Journal of Asian and African Studies (2014), http://jas.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/12/19/0021909614560242.abstract (25 December 2014).

6 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOSE), 1982.

7 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships 2013, 3.

8 Hugo Grotius, The Free Sea, translated by R. Hakluy (Indiana: Liberty Fund Inc, 2004[1609]), 128.

9 Ibid.

10 Ibid.

11 World Bank, The Pirates of Somalia: Ending the threat, rebuilding the Nations (Washington DC: The World Bank, 2013); Douglas Guilfoyle, “Piracy off Somalia: UN Security Council Resolution 1816 and IMO Regional Counter-Piracy Efforts,” International and Comparative Law Quarterly, Vol. 57, No. 3, (2008): 690–699.

12 Max Boot, “Pirates, Then and Now: How Piracy Was Defeated in the Past and Can Be Again,” Foreign Affairs, 88(4) (2009): 94–107; Christian Schubert and Leonhard Lades, “Fighting maritime piracy: three lessons from pompeius magnus,” Defence and Peace Economics, 25:5, (2014): 481–497.

13 Antony Duff, “Punishment, Communication and Community,” in Debates in Contemporary Political Philosophy: An anthology, edited by Derek Matravers and Jon Pike (New York: Routledge & Open University, 2003).

14 Cesare Becarria, An Essay on Crime and Punishment (The Federalist Paper Project, 1764).

15 Martin Murphy, Small Boats, Weak States, Dirty Money: Piracy and Maritime Terrorism in the Modern World (New York: Columbia University Press, 2009); Martin Murphy, “Piracy and the Exploitation of Sanctuary,” in Jeffrey Norwitz (ed.) Pirates, Terrorists, and Warlords: The History, Influence, and Future of Armed Groups around the World (New York: Skyhorse 2009), 167–176.

16 Samuel Oyewole, “Pirate sanctuary and the political economy of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea,” unpublished MSc. dissertation, Department of Political Science, University of Ilorin, Nigeria, 2015.

17 Martin Murphy, “Piracy and the Exploitation of Sanctuary.”

18 Justin Hastings, “Geographies of state failure and sophistication in maritime piracy hijackings,” Political Geography, xxx (2009): 1–11; M. Murphy, “Piracy and the Exploitation of Sanctuary.”

19 Murphy, ‘Piracy and the Exploitation of Sanctuary.'

20 Oyewole, ‘Pirate sanctuary.'

21 Boot, ‘Pirates, Then and Now.'

22 Angus Konstam, “From cutlass to AK-47,” BBC, November 14, 2008.

23 Oyewole, ‘Pirate sanctuary'

24 Ibid; Charles Ukeje and Wullson Ela, African Approaches to Maritime Security: The Gulf of Guinea, (Abuja: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, 2013); Ukoha Ukiwo, “From ‘Pirates' to ‘Militants': A Historical Perspective on Anti-State and Anti-Oil Company Mobilization among the Ijaw of Warri, Western Niger Delta,” African Affairs, 106(425) (2007): 587–610.

25 IMO, “Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ship,” MSC 15/19, 15 October 1984.

26 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships: Report for the Period of 1 January – 31 December 2009 (London: ICC-IMB, 2010).

27 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships: Report for the Period of 1 January – 31 December 2012 (London: ICC-IMB, 2013).

28 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships: Report for the Period of 1 January – 31 December 2015 (London: ICC-IMB, 2016).

29 Oyewole, ‘Pirate sanctuary,' 105.

30 Ibid.

31 Maritime Piracy Event and Location Database (MPELD), 2015.

32 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, 2013

33 Kaija Hurlburt and D. Conor Seyle et al., “The Human Cost of Maritime Piracy 2012,” Ocean Beyond Piracy, A project of One Earth Future Foundation, 2013.

34 Madsen et al., ‘The State of Maritime Piracy 2013.'

35 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships: Report for the Period of 1 January – 31 December 2011 (London: ICC-IMB, 2012).

36 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships 2013; Also see Samuel Oyewole, “The Fate of Hostages: Nigeria's Conflict Theatres in Comparative Perspective,” African Security Review 25, No.2 (2016): 193–207.

37 MPELD

38 Madsen et al., ‘The State of Maritime Piracy 2013.'

39 Hurlburt and Seyle et al., ‘The Human Cost of Maritime Piracy 2012.'

40 Madsen et al., ‘The State of Maritime Piracy 2013.'

41 “Gulf of Guinea: The New Danger Zone?” New African, 526 (2013) pp.10–14.

42 BP Statistical Review of World Energy, June 2014. (63rd ed.). London

43 Ibid.

44 IMO, “Implementing sustainable maritime security measures in West and Central Africa,” January 2014.

45 “Report of the United Nations assessment mission on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea”, ‘Letter from the Secretary-General to the President of the Security Council, January 2012.

46 Oyewole, ‘Pirate sanctuary,' 127.

47 Ibid.

48 Samuel Oyewole, “Boko Haram: Insurgency and the War against Terrorism in the Lake Chad Region,” Strategic Analysis, 39, No. 4 (2015): 428–432.

49 SIPRI Arms Transfers Database. 1950–2014, http://www.sipri.org/research/armaments/milex/milex_database/milex-data-1988-2014 (30 August 2015).

50 Ibid.

51 Ibid.

52 Adeniyi Osinowo, “Combating Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea,” Africa Security Brief No.30 (2015).

53 CCTV News, “Cote d'Ivoire Steps-up Fight Against Piracy,” 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFAUN75_ZHg

54 Ibaba Ibaba and Augustine Ikelegbe, “Militias, pirates and oil in the Niger Delta,” Wafula Okumu and Augustine Ikelegbe (eds.), Militias, Rebels and Islamist Militants: Human Insecurity and State Crisis in Africa (Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies (ISS), 2010).

55 Madsen et al., ‘The State of Maritime Piracy 2013.'

56 Ibid.

57 Evelyn Usman, “Navy nabs suspected pirates,” Vanguard, 13 September 2013.

58 Wale Akinola, “Jitters in the oil sector amid crackdown on thieves, pirates,” Vanguard, 30 September 2012; “NIMASA, Joint Task Force Take Battle to Sea Bandits,” This Day, 7 December 2012.

59 Ibid; IMO, “Reports on Acts of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships: Acts reported during August 2012,” MSC.4/Circ.188, 29 October, 2012.

60 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships 2015, 60–62.

61 IMO, “Reports on Acts of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships: Acts reported during March 2012,” MSC.4/Circ.183, 30 May 2012.

62 See IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, 2009; 2012; 2015.

63 Kwasi Kpodo, “Ghana's navy intercepts suspected pirate ship and arrests crew,” Daily Star, 2 August 2013; “Ghana captures pirate oil ship, arrests crew,” Vanguard, 3 August 2013.

64 Ibid; IMO, “Reports on Acts of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, Acts reported during July 2013,” MSC.4/Circ.200, 15 August, 2013.

65 Emma Arubi, “Police nab 3 sea pirates in military camouflage,” Vanguard, 26 January 2012.

66 Tony John, “Navy arrests 7 suspected sea pirates in Rivers,” The Nation, April 7, 2015.

67 “Nigerian Navy foils hijack of merchant ship, recues 25 foreigners,” Premium Times, 7 February 2016.

68 IMO, “Reports on Acts of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, Acts reported during January 2015,” MSC.4/Circ.220, 23 February, 2015.

69 Godwin Oritse, “Ghana Navy arrests 8 Nigerian pirates,” Vanguard, 22 January 2015.

70 Ibid.

71 IMO, “Reports on Acts of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, Acts reported during June 2013,” MSC.4/Circ.199, 13 August, 2013; Reuters, “Nigeria: French Sailor Freed after Pirate Attack,” This Day, 19 June 2013.

72 Reuters, “Nigeria: French Sailor Freed after Pirate Attack.”

73 IMO, “Reports on Acts of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, Acts reported during June 2014,” MSC.4/Circ.212, 12 November 2014.

74 Godwin Oritse, “NIMASA averts ship hijack, nabs 15 suspected pirates,’ Vanguard, 18 October 2012.

75 Godwin Oritse and Maimuna Mohammed, “NIMASSA arrests 10 suspected pirates,” Vanguard, 13 August 2013.

76 Emma Amaize, “12 killed pirates were NDLF militants,” Vanguard, 20 August 2013.

77 Samuel Oyadongha, “JTF repels pirates attack, recovers arms & ammunition,” Vanguard, 28 March 2015.

78 Evelyn Usman, “Top government officials, politicians contract us– Sea pirates,” Vanguard, 12 December 2012; This Day, 7 December 2012.

79 Wale Akinola, “Jitters in the oil sector amid crackdown on thieves, pirates”; This Day, 7 December 2012.

80 This Day, 7 December 2012.

81 “JTF repels attack, kills three suspected pirates in crossfire,” Vanguard, 25 June 2014.

82 SIPRI Arms Transfers Database

83 Will Ross, “Nigeria celebrates first home-made warship,” BBC News, 7 June 2012.

84 Oyewole, ‘Pirate sanctuary,' 64–67.

85 Ibid, 110–114.

86 Ibid.

87 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, 2012.

88 Charles Dokubo, “ICJ Ruling and the Maritime Security Implications for Nigeria South East Zone,” Nigerian Journal of International Affairs, 38 no.3 (2012): 95–112.

89 IMB, Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships, 2015.

90 Ibid.

91 World Bank, The Pirates of Somalia.

92 Meredith, Martine, The State of Africa: A History of Fifty Years of Independence (London: Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2005); Clapham, Christopher, Africa and the International System: The Politics of State Survival (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1996).

93 Gumedze, Sabelo (ed.), Merchants of African conflict: More than just a pound of flesh (Pretoria: ISS, 2011).