Pirates abandon “Monjasa Reformer”, portion of crew returns to safety

Global oil and shipping group Monjasa on Friday (31 March) said pirates who boarded Liberia-flagged oil tanker Monjasa Reformer have abandoned the vessel and ‘brought part of the crew members with them’.

The hijacking incident took place on 25 March off Congo in West Africa.

In a statement shared with Manifold Times, company spokesman Thorstein Andreasen said five days later, on 30 March, the Monjasa Reformer was located off Sao Tomé & Principe in the Gulf of Guinea by the French navy. 

However, the statement does not disclose how many crew members had been taken and details of how they were taken. 

“The rescued crew members are all in good health and safely located in a secure environment and receiving proper attention following these dreadful events,” he said. 

He added there is no damage reported to the ship or its cargo. 

The Monjasa Reformer, owned by Monjasa, and technically managed by Montec Ship Management, experienced an security incident on 25 March at 22:39 UTC about 140NM west of Port Pointe-Noire, Congo, in the Gulf of Guinea.

At the time of the incident, the vessel was sitting idle with 16 crew members on board.

Initially, Montec Ship Management was notified by the crew that pirates had boarded the vessel and that the entire crew was secured inside the citadel in accordance with the on board anti-piracy emergency Protocol.

Montec Ship Management instantly reported the incident to the Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea corporation centre (MDAT-GoG), and has been working with all relevant maritime authorities in the region, including several navies to resolve this dangerous situation.

“The safety and well-being of our crews and contractors are our first priority, not least in West Africa where piracy is a known risk factor,” Monjasa added in the statement. 

“In order to minimise the risk of personal injury, as well as operating losses due to assault, the Monjasa Group has implemented an anti-piracy policy which includes an extensive description of how the crew and the officers should act in case of piracy attacks.”

The policy, which comprises measures to be taken both during and after a possible assault, is continually evaluated according to the risk environment.

In the West Africa region, Monjasa urges for safe passage routes and safe zones under the EU, NATO and MDAT-GoG cooperation.

Related: Pirates board Monjasa oil tanker “Monjasa Reformer” in Gulf of Guinea

Photo credit: Monjasa
Published: 4 April, 2023