The rising acts of piracy on the East African coast has ignited fears of the United Nations declaring the region’s waters a war-risk operation zone or dangerous for vessels to sail on, experts warn. They further warn that it could also lead to a spike in freight costs.
In the past two months, Somali pirates have intensified their activities which were once more prevalent in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but are now common in the Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique territorial waters.
For your information, You can now request for armed maritime security escort from Mombasa-Kenya or at any of the following connecting ports at a short notice by sending a short e-mail message to us
Mombasa (Kenya)
Durban (Republic of South Africa)
Dar es Salaam (Tanzania)
Nacala/Beira (Mozambique)
Mukalla/Hodeidah (Yemen)
Salalah (Oman)
Colombo (Srilanka and Sub Continent)
According to statistics from East Africa Seafarers Assistance programme (SAP) office, over 40 vessels have been attacked on Kenya’s territorial waters in the past two months. The Kenya Ships Agents Association executive officer Capt. Fredrick Wahutu warned that should the trend persist, the international naval force protecting vessels will be overstretched causing their mission to become untenable. In such a case, he said, the United Nations will be forced to declare the region a war-risk operation zone or Dangerous waters to sail on.
“Should piracy escalate, most shipping lines could pull out and the International Workers Union could push for an inflated pay rise for the crew, who are already in short supply in the region,” said Mr Wahutu.
Experts estimate that the region’s shipping industry is absorbing an extra cost of Ksh16.2 billion ($200 million) due to piracy at the Gulf of Eden, and any additional cost would be unbearable to the region’s seaborne trade. According to SAP, shippers using the port of Mombasa are paying an additional $95 when importing a 20- foot container and an extra $15 for every tonne of oil and bulk grain cargo imported. The Mombasa and Dar es Salaam ports are now among the most expensive harbours in the world due to acts of piracy on the Somali coast. This has eroded the region’s exports’ competitiveness on the international markets.
SAP’s programme coordinator Andrew Mwangura says said most vessels that have been attacked in the past three months were either headed to the port of Mombasa or leaving for either Dar es Salaam or Maputo. “Such continual attacks are sending a wrong signal to ocean carriers that the Port of Mombasa is unsafe,” said Mr Mwangura.
Shippers are now being forced to spend more on fuel as vessels are opting for longer, safer routes. Currently, vessels heading to Mumbai from Mombasa take 18 days up from 12 days, while those sailing from Dubai take 12 days up from seven. The Kenyan economy has continued to bear the brunt of piracy activities along the coast of Somali, which includes cost of detaining and prosecuting pirates captured by the foreign naval ships on international waters.
Piracy has also brought the once flourishing cruise ship tourism in the country to its knees. According to the Kenya Ports Authority, cruise ships arrival at the port of Mombasa has plummeted since November 2005 when the first cruise ship (MV Seaborne Spirit) was attacked by pirates en route from Mombasa .
“The annual figures that were standing at 40,000 cruise tourists then, have come down to just below 10,000. Also, over 110 fishing vessels that used to sail to Mombasa for port services every year have diminished to about 20,” said a ship chandler who did not want to be named.
He added: “Pirates have brought the war onto the door steps of the three nations — Kenya Tanzania and Mozambique. The governments of these countries must be proactive in stopping piracy; they cannot afford to sit and wait for assistance from the EU or US.”
