Several politicians support strengthening the piracy effort in West Africa. “If the Danish Shipowners’ Association wants an increased Danish presence off the coast of West Africa, we’ll support the motion,” says foreign affairs rapporteur Søren Espersen (Danish People’s Party, DF).
On Tuesday, a tanker owned by Turkish Geden was hijacked by pirates off Gabon on the west coast of Africa. The attack came a day after the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) issued a report warning about piracy developments in the Gulf of Guinea and two weeks prior to the international shipowners’ association plan to send a joint appeal to the EU and the UN requesting increased readiness off the coast of West Africa.
An effort that’s supported by several Danish politicians. Søren Espersen, foreign affairs rapporteur of the Danish People’s Party, stresses that he’s not interested in an EU effort, but that he’d like to see a joint effort with other EU countries:
“One of the Danish Navy’s foremost tasks is to fight piracy. So if the shipowners’ association wants a Danish presence off West Africa, we support that completely and include it as a proposal to the defense circuit,” he tells WPO.
And Bjarne Laustsen, defense rapporteur of the Social Democrats, also supports an increased effort, pointing to Denmark’s role as a major maritime nation:
“And that means we have to ensure safe traffic on the oceans, in regards to crew and cargo both. That’s why I believe we owe the industry to work together with others, to solve the problem and establish something similar to Ocean Shield (a NATO operation aimed at protecting civilian shipping), with which we’ve had great success,” he says, referring to the efforts in East Africa, particularly off the coast of Somalia.
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However, the effort has to stand on two legs, so that it also helps to develop the countries and ensures a livelihood for the populations so they won’t be forced into piracy, stresses Bjarne Laustsen.
First an international focus
So far, the Danish Shipowners’ Association is focusing on a coordinated international effort, says vice president Jan Fritz Hansen, who also chairs the piracy committee of the European Shipowners’ Association, ECSA. He expects that the association will be ready to send an appeal to Brussels and the UN in two weeks, calling for an increased focus on piracy in West Africa.
So the appeal won’t be directed at the individual governments at first, but it’s an important area for Denmark, which according to Jan Fritz Hansen has a USD 881.4 million revenue in the countries, where there’s always around 30 Danish ships present.
“Of course, when we get an international approach to the matter and hopefully a decision to establish an effort in the region, I hope that Denmark will look into ways to contribute,” he says.
“Because we believe that the developments in West Africa are unacceptable, and we believe that the international society should start preparing contingency plans, as we’re going to need military support in order to help the local governments, who are having difficulties controlling these criminals.”
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