Shots Fired as Pirates Board Tanker off Central African Coast

Bitumen tanker BITU River is being identified as the vessel that was boarded (Rubis Asphalt)

Published Mar 18, 2025 12:42 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

A bitumen tanker was briefly commandeered by pirates overnight with reports of shots fired. The indication is that the crew was uninjured and that the vessel is back underway after the boarders left the vessel.

The Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG) first issued the alert saying that it had received a report that an unnamed tanker had been boarded approximately 40 nautical miles southeast of Santo Antonio do Príncipe, on the island of Príncipe in the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe off the west coast of Central Africa. MDAT-GoG’s last report was that the “unauthorized persons” had cleared the vessel, and it was proceeding to Libreville in Gabon for refuge.

The vessel is being identified as the BITU River, a Panama-flagged bitumen tanker operated by Rubis Asphalt, a company that sources bitumen at the refinery and distributes it across West and Central Africa. The 15,500 dwt vessel was built in China in 2022 and is the fifth bitumen tanker in the company’s fleet. The ship is 475 feet (145 meters) in length and the company reported when the vessel was delivered that it would operate with a crew of 14.

AIS signals show the vessel had departed the anchorage at Lomé, Togo and was proceeding to Douala in Cameroon. The security reports said three persons boarded the vessel. It is unclear when the shots were fired, but the company security officer later told MDAT-GoG the pirates had departed. There was no indication if the vessel was robbed or if any crewmembers were kidnapped.

MDAT-GoG reported an incident in a similar location off São Tomé and Príncipe taking place on December 21 and December 22. In that incident the crew was able to secure itself in the citadel. Other recent incidents included an approach off Equatorial Guinea and a fishing boat being attacked off Gabon at the end of January. 

Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group, wrote that this region is “the new stomping ground for pirates in West Africa.” He indicates that six vessels have been boarded since January 2024 off Equatorial Guinea and Gabon with 14 crewmembers kidnapped in three pirate attacks. 

Somali Pirates Suspected of Hijacking Another Yemeni Fishing Boat

Atalanta reports it is monitoring a fishing boat that it suspects was hijacked by Somali pirates (Atalanta file photo)

Published Mar 17, 2025 4:10 PM by The Maritime Executive

Reports were received yesterday, March 16, of a Yemeni-flagged fishing boat that EUNAVFOR officials believe has been hijacked by Somali pirates. Operation Atalanta is involved as the authorities monitor the vessel and warn of the continued danger in the region.

The report indicates that seven hijackers are aboard the dhow. They are believed to have taken control of the vessel off Durdura, in the vicinity of Ely, which is on the northern coast of Puntland, a semi-autonomous region within Somalia and the same area where other vessels have been attacked.

Atalanta says there is a crew of eight Somali nationals aboard the vessel. It is monitoring the situation and coordinating with the Combined Maritime Forces and the Yemeni Coast Guard.

It is the second incident this year with another Yemeni fishing boat taken a month ago on February 17 and held for five days while the pirates robbed the vessel and its crew before fleeing. However, unlike the prior event which was labeled when it started as an armed robbery, this time Atalanta has classified the incident as a hijacking.

There also was an incident in December where pirates armed with AK-47s boarded a Chinese fishing boat and held up to 18 crewmembers. The Chinese embassy reported the vessel was freed in mid-January. 

The last vessel that Atalanta classified as hijacked was in May 2024 after a rash of incidents that started in late 2023 around the same time the Houthis in Yemen began attacking shipping. Most of the attacks have been against smaller fishing vessels, but Atalanta continues to warn of the regional danger. Based on the continuing dangers, the European Union at the end of 2024 extended the mandate for the Atalanta mission at least until early 2027.

Atalanta was formed in late 2008 and undertook its first patrols in 2009. To date, it reports it has assisted in the capture and conviction of 145 pirates.