Category Archives: News

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

UGS MarSec Digest 25 June 2014

  June 25, 2014 ,
UG

 “Even Marine Police Armed Guards Are No Longer Legal in Nigerian Waters” By Ilias Papadopoulos Master in International Relations & Strategic Studies               This past week we had a very significant development in Nigeria. That is the ban of all security personnel, both private (already the case anyway) and state provided, on board vessels operating in Nigerian waters and its EEZ.             To take matters from the top, Nigeria never allowed the employment of PMSCs on board vessels operating in its waters and gives the alternative of employing locally provided guards from their Joint Task Force (JTF – a unit composed of Navy and Coast Guard personnel) or the Coast Guard (Marine Police). The measure by itself has attracted … Continue reading

UGS MarSec Digest 19 June 2014

  June 19, 2014 ,
UGS

UGS MarSec Digest 19/06/2014 By Ilias Papadopoulos Master in International Relations & Strategic Studies               Last week saw the rise of an unexpected danger in the Middle East, the radical Islamic ISIL (Islamic State for Iraq and the Levante), an offshoot of al Qaeda that operates in Iraq and Syria. Iraq is a country populated by three distinct groups, Sunni Muslims, Shi’a Muslims and Kurds, with the Shi’a being the majority. After the US intervention in the country in 2003 the later came to power and conducted along with their US allies counterterrorist operations against the radical Sunnis (then called al Qaeda in Iraq).             However two factors changed the largely successful approach in the country. The first was … Continue reading

UGS Weekly Digest 27 May – 01 Jun 2014

  June 10, 2014 ,
map of ghana west africa

Weekly Digest 02/06-08/06 By Ilias Papadopoulos Master in International Relations & Strategic Studies               This last week we had a major incident in maritime security, the hijack of Greek owned tanker MT Fair Artemis operated by Fairdeal S.A..             To take the events from the top, ‘Fair Artemis’ was operating in offshore Ghana waters on 04/06, with the last contact being made in 18:00 hrs. In 05/06 the vessel was declared as missing and a search for it was initiated. Subsequently an unnamed Ghanan official stated that the coast guard of Ghana received in 06/06 a distress signal from the vessel claiming that it was hijacked and looted 36nm in Togo national waters. Particularly the last clause should be … Continue reading

UGS Weekly Digest 19 – 25 May 2014

  May 29, 2014 ,
Indian Ocean Piracy Updates

Indian Ocean MARSEC Updates By Ilias Papadopoulos Master in International Relations &    Strategic Studies             This last week was a busy one for maritime security in the Indian Ocean, with three incidents taking place. While these events did not escalate to a full scale engagement they remind us that while severely hampered, piracy business in Aden is still around.             To take events from the top, in 20/05 at 07.47 a vessel was approached by four skiffs that circled around it for 20-30 minutes. The skiffs seemed to bear no arms, but nevertheless the on board security team showed its weapons as the rules of engagement dictate and the skiffs broke contact. Further to that, 20 minutes after the first … Continue reading