Russian Foreign Ministry Urges Gulf Of Guinea Countries To Bolster Anti-Piracy Efforts

The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called on the Gulf of Guinea countries to consolidate efforts to fight piracy in the region

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd September, 2020) The Russian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday called on the Gulf of Guinea countries to consolidate efforts to fight piracy in the region.

According to the ministry, two Russian nationals were captured by pirates during a raid on refrigerator cargo ship Water Phoenix on September 8 in the gulf.

"The seafaring in this area of the Atlantic has become extremely dangerous and poses a real threat to the lives of those who work as crew members of the vessels that make voyages in this region. We are calling on all involved sides, authorities and security agencies of the Gulf of Guinea states to consolidate efforts to take effective preventive measures and combat piracy," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry mentioned that 27 Russian sailors had been kidnapped within the last year and a half, and 22 of them had been released. Meanwhile, three sailors from cargo ship Rio Mitong and research vessel Djibloho are still being held captive.

In recent years the Gulf of Guinea has emerged as a hotspot of pirate activities, where over 90 percent of reported kidnappings at sea in 2019 took place, per the international Chamber of Commerce.