Armed Pirates Abduct Nine Sailors from Fishing Vessel Off Gabonese Coast

At least nine sailors were abducted after armed assailants boarded a fishing trawler off the coast of Gabon, authorities said, in the latest act of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

The incident happened on January 10 when pirates intercepted the vessel IB Fish 7, which was flagged to Gabon and engaged in fishing about seven nautical miles southwest of Ekwata, the Gabonese navy’s chief of staff said in a statement. The attackers seized nine crew members before escaping with them.

Among the abducted were five Chinese nationals and four Indonesians, military officials confirmed. Six other crew members of mixed nationalities remained on board and were escorted to port in Libreville as authorities launched an inquiry into the attack.

Gabonese naval forces said they are working to secure the release of those taken and strengthen patrols along the Gulf of Guinea, a region that has faced a rise in maritime crime and piracy in recent years. The area’s busy shipping routes and rich fishing grounds have made vessels vulnerable to armed robbery and kidnappings.

Incident reports have increasingly drawn concern from governments and maritime organisations, which stress the need for coordinated regional action to protect seafarers and commercial traffic.

SOURCE: AFP