New Weekly Security & Risk Report · 2 days ago · 3 The Security and Risk Report Series focuses on: • Operational risks in areas of instability which could affect the safety of

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Date: 21st October 2020Series 15/Issue 251

Weekly Security & Risk Report

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The Security and Risk Report Series focuses on:

• Operational risks in areas of instability which could affect the safety of commercial and private vessels and personnel ashore and at sea.

• In country reporting on key countries where civil conflict are directly impacting on maritime operations; and

• Reporting and analysis of incidents of terrorism, piracy and other related criminal activity. MAST has a global reach and presence, delivering first hand, accurate and exclusive intelligence. MAST is entrenched and committed in continuing to supportand promote the awareness of the very real risks thatseafarers and other stakeholders face. This Intelligence Report Series is a brief snapshot ofMAST’s Intelligence capabilities. MAST Intelligencespecialises in providing clients with a suite of products and services, including; political and economic risk analysis, de-tailed port and vessel security briefs, vessel passage plans, threat and risk mitigation and travel risk management. Working closely in conjunction with a host of experts,MAST Intelligence offers a market leading service pertain-ing to all maritime affairs.

Follow MAST on LinkedIn and Twitter to keep abreast with these insightful weekly reports and more — including real time security updates.

Editor: David Riderwww.mast-security.com

Issue 251

Contents:

Mast Services

Indian Ocean region

Somalia

Yemen

Mediterranean

Libya

Gulf of Guinea

South East Asia

Central & South America

Severe Weather Warnings

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21st September 2020

24/7 Emergency Telephone+44 (0) 1202 045 833 (Maritime)

MAST UK+44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected]

Issue 251 of the series reviews, analyses and threat assesses the fragile and conflict affected coastal states Libya, Somalia and Yemen. The Mediterranean migrant crisis, incidents affecting maritime security and influencing maritime news are also report-ed and analysed, focusing on the keys theatres of maritime instability.

Coronavirus Port and Terminal RestrictionsThe situation remains extremely fluid. For the most recent updates on closures and re-openings, MAST Security recommends using the Wilhemsen Covid-19 Global Port Restrictions Map. Please Click Here to visit their site.

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Hijack

Kidnap

Approach/Attack

Suspicious Activity Theft

Incidents: Nothing significant to report.

Iran forces to conduct exercisesIt has been reported to UKMTO that Iranian military forces will be conducting a military exercise with live firings. This will oc-cur between 0430 UTC 14 OCT 20 and 1330 UTC 21 OCT 20 in the area:

a. 2657N 05628Eb. 2645N 05624Ec. 2645N 05635Ed. 2635N 05648Ee. 2615N 05648Ef. 2615N 05706E

All vessels in the vicinity are to stay vigilant and to report any incidents to UKMTO.

Indian and Sri Lankan navies to begin their annual exerciseThe 8th annual joint exercise between Indian and Sri Lankan navies – SLINEX-20 – began on Monday 19th off Trincomalee coast. The 3-day exercise will continue till 21st of October.

U.S. Treasury Sanctions Six Chinese Firms for Iran-Related TradeThe U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control has placed six Hong Kong- and China-based shipping companies on its specially designated nationals (SDN) sanctions list in connec-tion with prohibited transactions involving Iranian entities. The sanctioned firms included Delight Shipping Company, Gra-cious Shipping Company, Supreme Shipping Company, and Noble Shipping Company, all based at the same address in Hong Kong; Reach Shipping Lines Hong Kong Co., based at a

different Hong Kong address; and China-based Reach Holding Group Shanghai Company.

Iran hails lifting of 13-year UN arms embargo Iranian officials have hailed the lifting of a 13-year UN arms embargo on their military as a momentous day, claiming they were once again free to buy and sell conventional weapons in an effort to strengthen their country’s security. The embargo was lifted on Sunday 18th morning despite US protests and was in line with the five-year timetable set out in the Iran nu-clear deal, which was signed in 2015, the Guardian reported.

IMB urges vigilance as Somali piracy remains under controlA global maritime body on Wednesday 14th urged foreign ves-sels to remain vigilant as they transit the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden despite lull in piracy incidents off the coast of So-malia. Despite the decline, the global maritime body said as Somali pirates are still capable of carrying out further attacks.

Chinese navy fleet returns from escort missionA Chinese navy flotilla returned to the port city of Zhoushan in East China’s Zhejiang province Wednesday 14th after complet-ing its mission of escorting civilian vessels in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. The 35th escort squad of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, comprising the guided-missile destroyer Taiyuan, the missile frigate Jingzhou and the sup-ply ship Chaohu, escorted 49 Chinese and foreign ships during the mission. The fleet set sail from Zhoushan on April 28.

To see MAST’s services in the Indian Ocean Region, please click here.

Indian Ocean RegionIranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Seyed Abbas Araqchi expressed the country’s opposition to any foreign military presence in the Persian Gulf region, including the presence of European forces. Speaking in a meeting with the new Danish ambassador to Tehran, Araqchi stressed that the security of the Persian Gulf region should be provided by the countries of the region. He said the presence of foreign troops will not only not help establish security but will prepare the ground for the escalation of tensions as well.

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Control of Somali territory (March 2017) Source: Wikimedia Commons

AnalysisAl Shabaab continues to mount operations throughout the coun-try, despite efforts by US Central Command to degrade its capa-bilities with ongoing airstrikes which aim to remove AS leader-ship. It is questionable as to whether this “body count” policy is working. Threat AssessmentThe political situation has seen increased tension between re-gional states and the Federal Government. Should this continue, there is an opportunity for criminal organisations to return to their previous maritime activities. Al Shabaab continues to challenege the government and efforts to disrupt its operations continue. The trade in illegal charcoal by terror and crime groups contin-ues, although the Combined Maritime Forces and UN are work-ing on measures to prevent it. Youth unemployment in Somalia has not improved with 67% of Somali male youths aged between 14 to 29 unemployed. Pirate financiers offer lucrative and attrac-tive opportunities, and were seen to be increasingly active in the last inter-monsoon period. Recent incidents off Somalia have highlighted the robust protections offered by both BMP5 and well trained, vigilant armed protection teams. Illegal fishing has returned to the region and there are wider political concerns that it could spark a resurgence in maritime crime unless checked. There is a risk that complacency in some quarters has seen a reduction in PMSC presence in these waters that could result in a piracy success. A lack of adherence to BMP5 protocol, particu-larly not maintaining a safe distance off the coast, has increased risks to shipping. Merchant vessels would be wise to maintain the same distance from the coast, particularly ensuring that the Socotra Gap isn’t taken. All vessels are advised to update risk as-sessments and register with UKMTO/MSCHOA prior to entering the Indian Ocean High Risk Area (HRA).

MAST UK: +44 (0)1279 216 726 [email protected] www.mast-security.com

Under control of Al Shabaab and allies Under control of neutral forces Under control of Government and allies Somaliland Government Territory disputed by Puntland and Somaliland

SomaliaThe Somalia National Defence Forces will soon have to take over security of their country. The reality of KDF exiting Somalia by 2021 has started taking shape. The Kenya Star newspaper has reported that the troops under AMISOM have started gearing up for an exit. This will likely bring to an end a decade of KDF’s presence in Somalia under AMISOM’s Concept of Operations (Co-nops). Somali forces are increasingly conducting independent operations, following mentorship by respective troops under AMISOM.

Somali prime minister announces new cabinetSomali’s Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble has retained key ministers in an new cabinet announced on Monday 19th. The new cabinet includes a deputy prime minister and 26 ministers - including four women. Those retained are Deputy Prime Minister Khadar Mohamed Gulaid, Finance Minister Ab-dirahman Duale Beyleh, Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Isse Awad and Health Minister Fowzia Abiikar Nur.

Plan to withdraw US soldiers sparks anxiety in SomaliaReports from the US on Friday 16th that President Trump had asked his top security advisers to draw up a plan for the with-drawal of US troops from Somalia has caused anxiety among partners involved in the war against terror in the country, with appeals for Washington to reconsider its decision. Although the plan remains unconfirmed, it could leave the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) less effective, given that the US troops have been providing essential aerial surveillance on Al Shabaab activities.

UN signs new cooperation agreement with SomaliaThe UN on Thursday 15th signed a cooperation agreement with Somalia on working together over the next five years for achieving “peace, stability and prosperity for all Somalis,” ac-cording to a UN statement. The UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework‘s (UNCF) agreement was signed in Mogadishu in presence of senior officials from the two sides, including Somalia’s Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Mohamed

Guled and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia James Swan, the statement said.

Ethiopia approved by Somalia to bring in khatEthiopia has been cleared by Somali Government to bring in khat, a senior official close to the leadership of Aden Adde Air-port has said, dispelling claims the import of the leafy stimu-lant today was illegal. Kenya remains banned from exporting khat to Somalia. He added that the consignment from Ethiopia Saturday which is the first since the ban on khat imports in mid March had been cleared by the Federal Government and that it was subjected to respective taxes.

Soldiers killed in al-Shabab attack near MogadishuAt least 13 Somali troops have been killed by the Al Shabaab armed group near the district of Afgoye, northwest of the capital, Mogadishu, a military official has said. “We left Afgoye district and attacked Al Shabaab in the farms outside Afgoye,” Major Mohamed Ali told the Reuters news agency, describing Wednesday 14th’s incident in the district about 30 kilometres (19 miles) from Mogadishu.

How Al Shabaab Made U.S.$12 Million in Nine MonthsSomalia-based terrorist group Al Shabaab generated about $13 million (Sh1.3 billion) between December 2019 and August, a new report says. According to the report by the United Na-tions Security Council expected to be released this week, the group raised the money through extortion and illegal taxes.

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Control of Yemen territory (June 1st 2020)

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Houthi

Pro Hadi Government Forces

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP)


Controlled by Southern Transitional Council

YemenYemen’s Houthi rebels said on Sunday 18th that they are ready to exchange all prisoners with the Yemeni government, one day after a major prisoner swap between the two warring rivals. “We are ready to exchange all prisoners, including former Defense Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi,” rebel leader Mohamed Ali al-Houthi said on Twitter. Al-Subaihi was captured by the rebel group in March 2015.

Houthi rebels killed by pro-gov’t forces in Yemen’s HodeidahAt least six members of Yemen’s Houthi rebel group were killed by pro-government forces in the country’s Red Sea port city of Hodeidah on Monday 19th, a military official told Xin-hua. “Armed confrontations broke out between the pro-gov-ernment Giants Brigades troops and the Houthis who tried to break into Tuhyata district of Hodeidah,” the local military of-ficial said on condition of anonymity.

Migrants die after being thrown off boatTwelve migrants died and others are missing after they were thrown off a boat by smugglers off Djibouti in the Horn of Af-rica, the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said. The bodies washed up on the coast near Obock ,a small port town on the Gulf of Aden, were recovered and buried by IOM staff, the UN agency said, Defence Web reported on Oct. 19th.

Saudi project clears 192,467 Houthi mines in YemenThe Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance (Masam) in Yem-en dismantled 263 anti-tank mines, 41 explosive devices and 1,109 unexploded ordnance — totaling 1,413 mines — during the second week of October.

Yemen: Combatants ‘have to find strength’ to end fighting, says UN humanitarian officialParties to the conflict in Yemen must do more to protect civil-ians, a senior UN humanitarian official there has said, as the number of civilian deaths has witnessed a sharp rise over the last few weeks in the war-ravaged country. “Innocent Yem-enis continue to die and suffer because of this terrible war,” Lise Grande, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, said in a statement on Saturday 17th.

Iranian envoy takes office in YemenIran has posted its new ambassador in Houthi-held Sana’a, five years after the last envoy departed. Foreign ministry spokes-man, Said Khatibzadeh, on Saturday 17th told Fars news agency that the new diplomat, Hassan Eyrlou had arrived in the Yemeni capital and presented his letters of credentials to Mehdi al-Mashat, head of Yemen’s supreme political council.

UAE compels Yemen forces to withdraw from gas facility vi-cinityUnited Arab Emirates (UAE) forces have compelled their Yem-eni counterparts to withdraw from the vicinity of the Balhaf oil facility in southern Yemen. Unnamed sources told Al-Jazeera that the Yemeni government forces had withdrawn from sites around the facility in the Shabwa province following the Abu Dhabi calls, media reports stated on Oct. 16th.

STC prevent Aden’s new police chief from assuming postThe security situation in the southern Yemeni port city of Aden has continued to deteriorate amid reports that the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) have prevented the incoming police chief of the city to assume his position. Brigadier General Ahmed Al-Hamidi was appointed by the exiled but internationally-recognised Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi two months ago as Aden’s new po-lice chief.

Yemen government, Houthis swap hundreds of prisonersThe internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Iran-backed Houthis on Thursday 15th swapped 484 prison-ers, including 15 Saudis, two Americans and four Sudanese in the first phase of a deal to release hundreds of prisoners, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), government officials and residents said.

AQAP continues actions in BaydaAl Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed to have fired mortar rounds at al Houthi militants in al Sawma’ah district in central Yemen’s al Bayda governorate on October 13th.

To see the latest threat analysis and Yemen port information in MASTOPDEIA, please click here.

MAST recommends BMP measures be enforced and watches strengthened during transits in the region.

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Migrant crossings 2017-2020. Source: UNHRC


Migrant statistics in the Mediterranean (Figures last updated on Oct. 20th 2020). Source: UNHCR

Mediterranean Turkey is once again facing the threat of sanctions as calls grow within the EU to impose puni-tive measures against it. The return of the Turkish research ship, Oruc Reis, to disputed waters in the Eastern Mediterranean has revived tensions between Greece and Ankara, and the decision by the North-Cypriot’s Prime Minister, Ersin Tatar, to reopen the island’s occupied ghost town of Varosha, has also angered officials in Nicosia, Euronews reported.

Spain reports surge in migrant crossing attemptsMedia outlets in Spain have noted a spike in crossings over the last few days, with Murcia Today stating on Oct. 19th that over 1500 had arrived in the past week. Another 218 migrants reached the Murcian coast over the weekend, the newspa-per reported, as calm weather seems to have sparked a new push by people smugglers.

Greece Slams Extension of Turkey’s Search And Rescue AreaThe Greek government challenged on Monday 19th the legit-imacy of Turkey’s intention to extend the area in the Eastern Mediterranean where it has the authority to conduct search and rescue operations, as it covers areas within Greece’s ju-risdiction, Russian media outlet, Sputnik, reported.

Italy condemns detention of fishermen seized off eastern LibyaItalian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio accused Khalifa Haftar’s administration in eastern Libya of “unacceptable” behaviour on Thursday 15th for detaining 18 sailors who were seized while fishing in the southern Mediterranean, Reuters report-ed. The men were crew on two fishing boats from Sicily when they were detained by Haftar’s forces on Sept. 1st and taken to Benghazi.

Libya’s GNA says it holds UN-sanctioned alleged people smuggler Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA) has detained Abdalrahman al-Milad, a Coast Guard commander sanc-tioned by the United Nations for alleged human trafficking and migrant smuggling, its interior ministry said on Wednes-day 14th. The ministry said it had detained Milad at the re-quest of the UN Security Council and that it had referred the case to the public prosecutor to take legal measures against him.

The current migrant smuggling situation

Another week with Turkey front and centre of the news cycle, as its behaviour continues to vex its neighbours and ruffle feathers within the EU. Given the country’s importance, geopolitically, it will be interesting to see whether a call for sanctions gains any political traction within the EU. At the moment, that would ap-pear a little unlikely; the grown ups will keep looking at stability in Libya and Turkey’s role in NATO, unless Erdogan does something extremely ill-advised.Crossing figures have increased again, despite the news that Lib-yan authorities have arrested a key suspect in human trafficking who also, it must be noted, worked as a Coast Guard commander in Libya.

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Control of Northern Libyan territory (Jan. 8th 2020)

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Controlled by the Tobruk led government

Controlled by the Government of National Accord

Controlled by ISIS

Controlled by local forces

Controlled by Tuareg forces


LibyaThe first flight from Libya’s Tripoli arrived on Friday 16th at Benghazi’s Benina International Airport after more than a year of suspension. Local media reported that an African Airlines plane arrived at Benina International Airport in Benghazi from Tripoli after a hiatus of more than a year. Earlier on Friday, Tripoli’s Mitiga International Airport announced resumption of its flights between Tripoli and Benghazi.

Geneva hosts new Libya talksThe warring parties in Libya have begun around of negotia-tions in Geneva, chaired by the United Nations, the BBC re-ported on Oct. 19th. The talks have brought together two del-egations of military officials from either side of the conflict. It’s thought that the talks in Geneva will focus on issues like the release of detainees captured in the fighting, and the disman-tling of irregular armed groups.

Libya’s Abu Attifel oilfield expected to restart from Oct. 24thLibya’s 70,000-barrels-per-day Abu Attifel oilfield is expected to begin its restart on Oct. 24 after being shut down for months, two engineers there said, in a report via the Reuters news agency on Monday 19th.

Libya’s government finds 5 more mass graves in TarhunaFive new mass graves have been discovered in the Libyan city of Tarhuna, which was recently liberated from the putschist Gen. Khalifa Haftar’s forces, according to a statement by the Libyan Army, reported by Daily Sabah on Oct. 18th. The graves were found in the Rabta mass grave excavation area, and au-thorities unearthed several bodies, but no exact figures were revealed.

Libyan oil output reaches 500,000 barrels per day as industry restartsBloomberg reports that a significant target has been met by Libya’s NOC, as oil production has now risen to 500,000bpd. Sharara, the country’s biggest oil field, is pumping roughly 110,000 barrels a day, according to two people with knowl-edge of the situation, who asked not to be identified because they’re not authorized to speak to media. The southwestern deposit, which has a capacity of 300,000 barrels daily, restart-ed last weekend.

UNHCR’s life-saving flights from Libya resume after seven-month suspension UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency evacuated on Oct, 15th a group of 153 vulnerable refugees and asylum-seekers out of Libya to the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) in Niger. This

UNHCR-chartered flight marks the resumption of life-saving evacuations from Libya, ending a seven-month long suspen-sion. Humanitarian flights had to be halted in March, due to public health concerns related to the Coronavirus pandemic, which led to the suspension of air traffic in many countries.

Haftar’s militia fires 4 rockets at Libyan armyWarlord Khalifa Haftar’s militia on Thursday 15th fired four rock-ets aimed at targeting Libyan troops deployed west of Sirte. In a statement, military spokesman Abdul-Hadi Dara said: “Haf-tar’s militia fired four rockets at the Buerat area located west of the city of Sirte, which is a base for the Libyan army.” Dara said there were no casualties following the attack.

GNA Military Leaders Want to be Included in Political Dia-logueThe military leaders of the Government of National Accord (GNA) have asked to be included in the upcoming Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF), signaling another division in the government led by Fayez al-Sarraj. A group of military commanders of the Volcano of Rage operation, launched by GNA forces, said it will form a political team to represent them in the talks.

Mobile Clinics Test for COVID-19 in Tripoli Although Libya earlier seemed to have passed the peak of Covid 19 contaminations, the situation has become dire in Libya. As the pandemic drags on, Libyans’ reluctance to upend their daily routines has increased. And with Mosques opening last Friday in and around the Libyan capital city Tripoli, expert fear the new spike of contaminations, Afri-caNews reported.

To read MAST’s Libyan Country report on MASTOPEDIA, please click here.o

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4°30’

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Gulf of GuineaKidnappings rose by 40 per cent in the Gulf of Guinea in the first nine months of this year, a re-port by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), stated. It noted that the region off West Africa’s coast now accounts for 95 per cent of global maritime kidnappings, a Reuters report stated. The IMB said 80 seafarers were taken in the Gulf of Guinea, a 2.3 million square kilometres (888,000 square metres) area bordering more than a dozen countries, sharply up from the same period in 2019, adding that the pirates are attacking further out to sea than before.

Incidents: 1. Underway Hong Kong, China-flagged chemical tanker boarded at 2003 UTC in position 04:16.28N - 001:24.19E, around 116nm south of Lome, Togo. Alarm raised, crew mustered in citadel. Incident reported to CSO. Vessel and crew safe. MV escorted by Togolese Navy to Lome port. Reported (MDAT) 17th Oct.2. Berthed Marshall Islands-flagged LNG tanker, Methane Princess, reported boarded by five persons armed with rifles at 0343 UTC in position 03:46.96N - 008:41.88E, Punta Europa Terminal, Malabo, Bioko, Equatorial Guinea. Alarm raised and crew secured in citadel. Two crew taken hostage on jetty, one crew managed to escape. Perpetrators escaped in small craft with one crew member abducted. Local authorities informed and deployed EG Navy security team to secure vessel and in-vestigate. Reported (MDAT/IMB) 17th Oct.3. Duty OOW onboard and anchored product tanker noticed a boat with four persons armed with guns approaching at 0436 UTC in position 09:16.15N – 013:46.51W, Conakry Anchorage, Guinea. Onboard armed military team notified. As the boat ap-proached the tanker the armed team fired warning shots re-sulting in the boat moving away. Incident was reported to the Port Authorities. Reported (IMB) 15th Oct. (Not shown on chart)4. Late Report: During heavy rain, armed robbers in two boats approached and boarded the berthed Malta-flagged product tanker engaged in cargo operations. Deck crew noticed the robbers and raised the alarm at 0245 UTC in position 06:26.70N - 003:22.80E, Apapa Bulk Terminal Ltd (ABTL), Lagos Port Ni-geria. The discharging operations were suspended, all access doors were locked, and crew mustered in the citadel. Port Control informed through VHF CH12. Hearing the alarm, the robbers escaped. A Nigerian Navy Officer boarded the tanker for investigation. Nothing reported stolen. Reported (IMB) 9th Oct.

Pirates Cart Away 16 Fishermen’s Boats In AndoniArmed sea pirates terrorising fishermen in Andoni communi-ties in Rivers State have carted away 16 engine boats belong-ing to fishermen in the area. The sea robbers who have been terrorising waterways in the communities also attacked the helpless fishermen and made away with their valuables. The attacks happened over the weekend of 17th-18th Oct., with no arrest made by the Marine Police or the Navy.

Do not switch off AIS in Nigerian watersGard has warned its members that despite the elevated pi-racy risk in the Gulf of Guinea, ships operating in the region should maintain their automatic identification systems (AIS) in operation at all times. In an alert on Oct. 16th, it stated that: the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) issued a notice warning its clients and other stakeholders that the Ni-gerian Navy will investigate, and has arrested, ships that switch off their automatic identification system (AIS) when operating in Nigerian waters.

Troops impound stolen products, destroy illegal refining sites in South-SouthThe Defence Headquarters says the troops of Operation Delta Safe have impounded a large quantity of stolen petro-leum products and destroyed many illegal refining sites in the South-South zone in the last one week. Maj.-Gen. John Enenche said the troops had continued to carry out the ag-gressive fight against economic sabotage in the zone with sig-nificant successes between Oct. 8 and Oct. 14.

To see MAST Services in the region, please click here. And and to read Nigeria’s country report, please click here.

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South East AsiaU.S. guided-missile destroyer, USS Barry (DDG 52), conducted a routine transit through the wa-terway separating China from Taiwan on Wednesday 14th, a move which has aggrieved Beijing. “The Arleigh-Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52) conducted a routine Tai-wan Strait transit Oct. 14th (local time) in accordance with international law. The ship’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” according to a statement by a US Navy Press release. At the same time, The USS Ronald Regan Carrier Strike Group is now operating in the South China Sea for the third time.

Incidents: 1. Three robbers armed with a steel bar boarded underway tanker at 1530 UTC in position 01:16.55N – 104:15.06E, Singa-pore Straits. Duty crew on routine rounds noticed the robbers and immediately informed the OOW. Alarm raised and all crew mustered. Seeing the alerted crew, the robbers escaped. Ves-sel and crew safe. Reported (IMB) 13 Oct.

PH Navy eyes 120-strong maritime militia in WPSTo strengthen its presence in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Philippine Navy (PN) is planning to recruit and arm 120 fishermen who will compose the first batch of the military’s maritime CAFGU Active Auxiliaries (CAAs) in the tension-filled waters. Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Ba-cordo defended the decision, saying: “This is a stopgap meas-ure. We don’t have the capability to be everywhere. [The mi-litia] are our force multipliers. They can fill in in our absence,” Bacordo said in a press briefing aboard the BRP Jose Rizal on Monday, October 19th.

ReCAAP Reports Uptick in Piracy in Asian WatersPiracy in Asian waters has increased this year, according to regional piracy monitoring centre ReCAAP. 75 attacks were reported in the first three quarters of the year, an increase of nearly 40 percent relative to last year and a higher number than at any point since 2015. Almost all of the attacks were armed robberies, but four were more serious acts of piracy. In particular, kidnapping remains a significant concern in the waters off Eastern Sabah, Malaysia, at the intersection of the Sulu and Celebes Seas.

11 Abu Sayyaf members surrender in SuluEleven members of the Abu Sayyaf terror group surrendered in Sulu on Friday to the military, the Armed Forces of the Phil-

ippines’ Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) said on Oct. 17th. The Abu Sayyaf members also surrendered seven high-powered firearms such as M16 Armalite and M1 Garand rifles.

Philippines approves resumption of energy projects in South China SeaPhilippines President Rodrigo Duterte has lifted the morato-rium on petroleum exploration in the South China Sea, paving the way for three projects to resume, including a possible joint venture with China, Reuters reported on Oct. 15th. The Phil-ippines suspended oil exploration in the South China Sea in 2015 after the nation filed a case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration over the disputed waters. In 2016, the international panel rebuffed Chinese claims over most parts of the sea.

MMEA foils illegal oil transfer by three vessels off SediliThe Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) man-aged to foil an unauthorised oil transfer by three vessels in the waters off Sedili, near Kota Tinggi on Oct. 14th. Johor State Maritime director First Admiral Nurul Hizam Zakaria said the Tanjung Sedili Maritime Zone received a complaint from the local maritime community about a suspicious ship-to-ship (STS) activity off Tanjung Sedili.

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Hijack

Kidnap

Approach/Attack

Suspicious Activity

Theft

Central and South America Nothing significant to report.

Incidents: 1. Duty officer onboard a tanker noticed a suspicious light near the forward store and asked the duty watchmen to investigate at 0630 UTC in position Callao Anchorage, Peru. As the duty watchmen approached he was taken hostage and tied up by robbers who stole his personal belongings. The robbers re-leased the duty watchmen before escaping. Duty officer and Master informed. Alarm raised and a search was carried out. Incident reported to the port authorities and local agent. Re-ported (IMB) 17 Oct. (Not shown on chart)

Standing advice: The repercussions of a vessel being caught acting as a mule with drugs stowed will depend on the type, amount and na-tional laws, but may be disruptive and costly. When and if operating in these areas, especially Columbia and Peru, it is advised that: • Potential stowage areas such as rudder shafts are denied as far as possible, and/or routinely searched. • Access points are closely monitored by a vigilant watch for the duration of the vessel’s call at port.

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Western North Pacific Ocean and South China Sea

Severe Weather Warnings Warnings detailed on this page are from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and are issued by respective Regional Specialised Metrological Centres, Tropical Cyclone Centres or Na-tional Meteorological Services. For further information on severe weather warnings please click here.
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Documents

New Weekly Security & Risk Report · 2 days ago · 3 The Security and Risk Report Series focuses on: • Operational risks in areas of instability which could affect the safety of