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Remaining crew from hijacked Monjasa product tanker rescued
Six crew members were kidnapped and held for more than five weeks after pirates abandoned a Monjasa product tanker they had attacked and boarded on 25 March
Leaving 10 crew behind, the pirates kidnapped the six crew members who have now been recovered safely, bringing them to shore in Nigeria, where they were held according to an account from Monjasa. The French navy later located tanker Monjasa Reformer off the coast of Sao Tomé & Principe in the Gulf of Guinea.
The tanker owner then ceased communications involving the incident, citing safety concerns. The company has also chosen not to publish the details of the specific location or where crew were being held, the conditions of their captivity or the circumstances surrounding their release.
Monjasa’s statement said, "The security incident involving Monjasa Reformer and 16 crew members in the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa concluded on 8 May 2023. Monjasa is pleased to confirm all six crew members who were kidnapped from the oil tanker, Monjasa Reformer, are now safely recovered from an undisclosed location in Nigeria, following the hijacking of the vessel on 25 March 2023 off Congo."
Monjasa Group chief executive Anders Østergaard was quoted as saying, “All recovered crew members are in a relatively good health condition given the difficult circumstances they have been under in the last more than five weeks. They have all been receiving medical checks and are now being repatriated to their home countries to reunite with their families. We are immensely grateful for the support received from our professional advisors, navies and authorities and to all others who have helped us resolve this awful situation. We truly admire our crew members for their bravery and would like to thank all the involved families for their patience and resilience during this stressful period of uncertainty."
Monjasa also took the opportunity to call for increased security in the region offshore West Africa, which is known for its piracy.
"Unfortunately, this and other recent and similar hijackings in the Gulf of Guinea clearly demonstrates the need for joint international political action to face these issues once and for all. In the West Africa region, Monjasa urges for safe passage routes and safe zones under an international coalition, and we will continue working with our partners, authorities and fellow shipowners for a safe working environment for all seafarers," the company said.
3 April 2023
Monjasa released an account of what has transpired since their product tanker Monjasa Reformer was boarded by five armed pirates in a skiff on 25 March. At the time, the 16 crew on board reported they were secure in the vessel’s citadel.
Monjasa have confirmed some of the crew members on board the Liberia-flagged oil tanker have been brought to safety after pirates abandoned the vessel and the French Navy recovered it off the coast of São Tomé and Príncipe in Africa’s Gulf of Guinea. The company also said there was no damage to the vessel or its cargo.
"The rescued crew members are all in good health and safely located in a secure environment and receiving proper attention following these dreadful events," Monjasa’s statement said.
Monjasa did not specify the number of crew members who remain missing and have said they will cease to issue updates "until the situation is fully resolved," citing safety concerns for the missing crew.
"Our thoughts are with the crew members still missing and their families during this stressful period. Monjasa will continue working closely with the local authorities to support our seafarers safe return to their families. At the same time, Monjasa would like to express our sincere thanks to the French Navy and all other parties who provided their assistance so far," the company said.
The joint British-French naval maritime response centre Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GoG) posted an update when Monjasa Reformer had been recovered, saying "incident complete, vessel safe" and repeated its warning to mariners transiting the region.
"We strongly recommend that the seafaring community (all shipping) transiting this area increase their vigilance, retain an enhanced local surveillance and apply BMP WA [best management procedures for West Africa) procedures," MDAT-GoG said.
Pirates hijacked the vessel and turned off its AIS transponder on 25 March; the vessel was later seen on 28 March, hundreds of miles from the location of the attack.
Monjasa confirmed the attack on its Monjasa Reformer product tanker in a statement released 28 March.
The company said the 16 crew on board the ship, managed by Montec Ship Management, alerted the management firm about the boarding, telling Montec all crew on board had been secured inside the vessel’s citadel after following the vessel’s anti-piracy emergency protocol.
No further communication with the crew has been reported, and Monjasa said, "On board communications channels are currently down, and we are working with the local authorities to establish communication to understand the situation on board and provide all the support needed by the crew to overcome these dreadful events."
Following the alert of the attack from the ship’s crew, Montec reported the incident to MDAT-GoG and is said to be collaborating with regional maritime authorities "including several local and international navies".
MDAT-GoG reported the vessel had been boarded by five armed perople who approached the vessel from a skiff. When the vessel was boarded, it was sitting idle about 140 nautical miles west of Port Pointe-Noire, Congo, in the Gulf of Guinea, according to Monjasa, and MDAT-GOG have advised mariners in the region to exercise caution.
Monjasa said its 13,700-dwt Monjasa Reformer is employed in West Africa as part of the company’s global marine fuels operations and is currently carrying marine gas oil, very low sulphur fuel oil and high sulphur fuel oil products.
There are no reports of damage to the ship or cargo to date, and MDAT-GOG reported a sighting of the vessel 28 March, requesting masters in the vicinity of the sighting’s co-ordinates (0409S, 00146E) to be aware and report any further sightings of the vessel. The 2003-built vessel’s livery is black-hulled with a black funnel and an orange logo.
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