A Danish tanker flying the Liberian flag was attacked by pirates off Congo-Brazzaville in the Gulf of Guinea and contact was lost for three days with the crew of 16 sailors, its owner announced on Tuesday.
During this attack which took place on Saturday evening 140 nautical miles west of the port of Pointe-Noire, pirates were able to board the Monjasa Reformer and "the
entire crew got to safety in the + citadel +
(armored shelter, Editor's note) of the ship, said the shipowner Monjasa.
No communication with the sailors of this tanker, 134 meters long and with a capacity of 13,700 tonnes, has taken place since, the company said in a press release.
"
Communications are currently down and we are working with local authorities to establish communication and understand the situation on board
," said Monjasa, based in Fredericia in western Denmark.
Falling attacks
At the time of the incident, reported at 10:39 p.m. Paris time, the ship was immobilized with 16 crew members on board, said the shipowner.
The last contacts took place via the company Montec Ship Management, which ensured the operational link with the ship.
"
All our thoughts are with the crew and loved ones
," adds Monjasa, without revealing the nationalities of the sailors.
The Gulf of Guinea, which stretches 5,700 kilometers between Senegal and Angola, was for several years the new black spot of global piracy, but attacks had dropped recently.
According to the Maritime Information, Cooperation and Alert Center (Mica), only three ships were attacked in the sector in 2022, compared to 26 in 2019.