Just one of the problems in West Africa

trublue

Longterm Registered User
FOLLOWING A period of close consultation with the International Group of P&I Clubs concerning the practical application of the BIMCO Guidelines adopted in November 2013, a Special Circular has been published. The Guidelines serve as a "health warning" to those owners contemplating using the GUARDCON contract for the provision of guard services in the Gulf of Guinea. National law in the affected countries prohibit foreign security guards from carrying firearms on board merchant vessels within their territorial waters. This has an important bearing on ships in the Gulf of Guinea which are generally "destination bound" rather than "in transit" (in contrast with Indian Ocean based pirate attacks). Effectively, it means the owner is required to employ local security personnel (commonly marine police or naval personnel) under strict agreements - BIMCO.
GUARDCON was designed as a means of placing armed guards on board merchant vessels in transit on the high seas - chiefly the Indian Ocean. Its application to other areas of piracy, such as the Gulf of Guinea where vessels are within territorial waters and approaching their destinations, requires some additional and careful considerations.
The Guidelines set out the main issues concerned with the recruitment of security guards in the Gulf of Guinea and highlights a number of caveats of which owners should be aware. If GUARDCON is used under the circumstances set out in the GUIDELINES then careful consideration should be given to the proposed recommended amendments to a number of GUARDCON's clauses. Clubs in the International Group of P&I Clubs are issuing a Circular to all their members giving further advice regarding approved amendments to GUARDCON for West African trades.
 
Unarmed ex-pat teams?
Handheld high-power lasers?
Lots and lots of razor-wire?
Decent non-lethal water cannons?
We needed wpns for the first few yrs of GoA/IO and just worked around not having them, so why the problem now?
Are shipping companies "expected" to use local marines/Navy to facilitate and "easy time" in GoG (port entry/exit etc)?
As posted above most vessels in the area are going to dests in the area and not just passing through.
Anyone on here that's on the ground as a TL in the area got a heads-up on the "real" score?
 
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I work around Nigeria, West Africa quite a lot, the guards are very unprofessional, on an occasion I caught a guard asleep, so asleep I took a photograph of him, close up. They steal, scrounge,lie, and do their " own thing" on several occasions I have sacked the whole security team for not doing their job. The sooner we have professional guys on the vessel the better, because as an "Advisor" on a vessel 18 hour days are quite long (with of course lots of cups of tea")
 
D'you reckon that the reason we can't just go on vessels as technicians not security(like before) is down to jobs for the boys and to ensure the corrupt and greedy generals/admirals/politicians etc get their cut?
I'd be more than happy to go unarmed as long as I can take my trusty mega-laser!
18hrs on stag sounds a bit long but as long as the normal SOP is followed (rotating stags on bridge wings) there's no reason why you can't be in your pit or floating around the boat as long as you've got your radio on.
It takes max of a couple of mins to leg it up to the bridge anyway.
I don't know why having to be armed is such a sticking point and only locals are used which sounds like a pretty pants option to me and not the best option for securing the client vessel.
 
Mate, the master will not let the locals anywhere near the bridge, during STS operations I check on them very 15 minutes, they patrol around the deck up to the bow down the centre gangway then depending which side the operation is being done they parol the opposite side with one guard at the 1 external door that is open?...but with even a simple thing like that they have to be checked on. If you let the guards have a magazine they will shoot at anything at night, so you are better off keeping their mags on you in a grab bag and just walk around the deck, as by the time you get back up to the bridge...which is the advisors place (and a quick cuppa) it's time to go back down to the deck and check on them again.
 
The arms issue I think is something to do with the Simon Mann/ Maggie thatchers boy, little escapade when the tried to over run a government, down in that part of the world.
 
Most of the stealing/boarding is done at night. There is supposed to be a curfew between 1900 and 0600 hours but you still get skiffs out fishing or robbing. If anyone wants some pictures of a business mans skiff and a fisher mans skiff then p.m me, these skiffs venture up to the vessels every day trying to sell anything from fake watches, cigarettes, phone cards to women.
 
So there's no set "HRA" where you lock down between ports?
Can't you just wire the boat up and lock-down for the duration of the transit between ports?
Bonkers that you can't even trust 'em with a mag on their wpn mate haha :) but does sum them up IMO.
I can understand the PTB using Equatorial Guinea as an excuse for not using Europeans as if it weren't that it would be something else, wouldn't it?
Are there many hits out that way and are the local security any good if it came down to a 1way or 2way range?
Or are they just totally bums on seats??
 
There is a outward limit of about 50 miles from the coast. The guards have no pride about themselves, their weapons are rusty, they don't have the simple things like toothbrush and paste. Their admin is not there.....they probably think that admin is a town in china!!
 
If the attacks are happening inside the 12 mile limit then all weapons should be locked away anyhow, however if outside the 12 mile limit then weapons should be allowed to come out and be used if necessary.
 
If the attacks are happening inside the 12 mile limit then all weapons should be locked away anyhow, however if outside the 12 mile limit then weapons should be allowed to come out and be used if necessary.


I absolutely agree with you, mate.

I am currently within the GoG, our armed guards are locals, and their weapons are some times more as rusty...some times they have just one full magazin for a 10 day mission....their "Navy administration" is a joke simply....not to mention the corruption between their military staff and local politics.
So, nothing really new under the African sun, lol.
 
Ah, so the reason that us ex-pats can't be used is really just down to the local hierarchy being in a position to exploit the situation and make money?
That makes a lot more sense and is what I thought the reason was going to be.
Are transiting vessels obligated to take local security teams to make their entry into/from locations easier or to pass through the GoG?
Surely an easier option would be to put unarmed ex-pats and do the boat up like a floating razor-wire island and just adopt the usual transit SOPs- Lock-down, citadel, watches, flooded decks etc etc.
As this isn't being done (but would already have been thought of) I think I've answered my own question.
 
On STS operations there is always some crew on the deck by the manifold in case of emergency. And the operation is done whilst stationary. So the vessels are a sitting target.
 
I am afraid if I was out there as a TL and the vessel was attacked I would be pulling a rifle off the local and putting up my own defence
 
Trublue from what I hear about the company you work for at the moment and the drop in pay you might be out there earlier than you think,
 
Not in the Marsec game but have to agree with paddy on the quality of guards down there, on dry land anyway.
Lazy, untrustworthy, underpaid guards who would sell their mother and children never mind an ex-pat to the highest bidder.
No supervision, no uniforms, shite weapons and sod all ammo add to the problem....
 
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