Category Archives: MARSEC Updates

Check your PMSC Weapons’ Licenses

  February 18, 2015 ,
UG

January 2015 – BIMCO issued a security advisory on 20 Jan 2015 in which states that has recently received reports that a small minority of Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSCs) may be operating contrary to the provisions of GUARDCON. These companies are leasing or renting out their weapons to other PMSCs. Those renting/leasing from third parties without having in place the required licences and permits issued by state authorities to control the handling and movement of weapons are likely to be in breach of the original “end user” licences and therefore operating illegally.   PMSCs who engage in this practice are potentially in breach of their obligations under Clause 10 (Permits and Licences) of GUARDCON. Those PMSCs renting/leasing out the weapons are potentially in … Continue reading

AMISOM Mogadishu Base under attack from Al Shabaab

  December 25, 2014 ,

December 2014 – The African Union’s main base in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, was attacked by gunmen on Thursday 25 December, leading to a further exchange of gunfire between armed men and soldiers which resulted in nine people killed. Among the dead in Thursday’s attack were three AU soldiers and one civilians, the AU mission –  known as AMISOM – said in a statement . At least five of the attackers were reported killed and three others were captured. The African Union has about 22,000 troops in the country – from Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Ethiopia and Djibouti – to help the government battle al-Shabab. Al-Shabab confirmed it had launched an attack on the base. Spokesman Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab said … Continue reading

Nigeria terminates US-led training programme for Nigerian Army

  December 4, 2014 ,
UGS

December 2014 – The Nigerian federal government has requested and the United States suspended the training of a Nigerian Army battalion as of 1st December 2014. The program began in April this year with the intention of setting up a new 650-member ranger battalion which would have been deployed to tackle the Boko Haram insurgency. According to the US embassy in Nigeria, the training programme will be discontinued at the request at the request of their Nigerian counterparts: “At the request of the Nigerian government, the United States will discontinue its training of a Nigerian Army (Ranger) battalion. The first two phases of training were conducted between April and August 2014, and had provided previously untrained civilian personnel with basic … Continue reading

UGS MARSEC Digest October 2014

  October 23, 2014 ,
RECAAP Q3 2014 REPORT

ReCAAP ISC Summary of Q3 Piracy & Armed Robbery in Asia For the first six months of 2014, there has been a significant increase in the number of incidents compared to the same period of last year. The ReCAAP ISC witnesses a surge in the number of incidents from 61 reported during January – June 2013 to 90 during the same period in 2014. However, after July 2014, there has been a significant reduction in the number of incidents within the three-month period from July to September in 2014. On a quarter-to-quarter comparison, there was a 33% decrease in the number of incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships reported during the period of July – September 2014 compared … Continue reading

UGS MARSEC Digest September 2014

  October 3, 2014 ,
UNSOM SPF Training

UNSOM Trains Somali Police Force More than 30 officers of the Somali Police Force  completed on Sep 24th a training course tailored to boost their skills and knowledge. This was a two week long comprehensive training targeted the Professional Standards Unit of the SPF and covered areas ranging from handling investigations, dealing with witnesses, handling crime scenes and human rights and international humanitarian law, among others. 35 participants, including 9 female officers, took part in the training, conducted by the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) in partnership with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), the European Union Capacity Building Mission for Maritime Security, the UN Police and the UN Development Programme. The trainers say the course was tailored … Continue reading

UGS Marsec Digest July 2014

  July 16, 2014 ,
SE Asia Map

An Update on Maritime Crime in SE Asia By Ilias Papadopoulos Master in International Relations & Strategic Studies   During June shipping community witnessed a sudden rise in maritime crimes in the SE Asia with a total of 21 attacks in one month time. Of course the region always produced high quantities of maritime crime, usually armed robberies and crime of minor to moderate significance, but last month’s events are recorded at least as of the densest in months. Despite that, if we quantify some indicators we will come to some useful conclusions. First of all, the prime countries that this outburst of maritime crime originated is Indonesia and Malaysia. Furthermore the majority of the vessels attacked were locally flagged and/or … Continue reading