Africa Daily Digest 1 November 2016

Daily Digest 

Africa Edition 

1 November 2016 

Published in Johannesburg, South Africa 

Contents 

nsert Image 

Snippets and significant dates 

Snippets 

Significant dates 

Algeria 

ISIS claims killing of police officer 

Ethiopia 

Without reform Ethiopia risks a deepening 

crisis 

Kenya 

Government questions survivability of ICC 

Economy projected to grow 5.9 percent 

Libya 

Government forces push to oust IS fighters 

from Sirte 

Mali 

Islamist militant leader announces unilateral 

cease-fire 

Nigeria 

Militant group threatens more attacks if 

army campaign continues 

Government to investigate alleged rapes by 

police and troops 

Rwanda 

Government names 22 French army officers 

accused of genocide 

South Africa 

State prosecutor drops fraud charges 

against finance minister 

Spain 

African migrants storm border in Ceuta 

Regional 

World piracy drops to 20-year low: IMB 

Incident Watch 

Kenya 

Kenya’s economy is projected to grow at 5.9 

percent in 2016 up from 5.6 percent in 2015 

according to the World Bank 

Libya 

US Secretary of State John Kerry and British 

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson have hosted 

a meeting in London designed to help break 

Libya's political stalemate 

Mali 

The leader of the Islamist militant group 

Ansar Dine has agreed to cease attacks in 

Mali that have killed dozens of civilians, 

soldiers and UN peacekeepers this year 

Rwanda 

Rwanda's government has said that 22 senior 

French military officers helped to plan and 

carry out the 1994 genocide 

For further Erinys InSight services or to comment on this publication 

please contact us at insight@erinys.net, or visit us at www.erinys.net




Snippets and significant dates 

Snippets 

Central African Republic: US issues Security 

Message 

On 28 October 2016, the US Embassy in Bangui 

issued a Security Message that reads in part as 

follows: “The US Embassy in Bangui is aware of 

potential threats to the security of those in close 

proximity to areas/property associated with the 

United Nations Multidimensional Integrated 

Stabilization Mission in the Central African 

Republic (MINUSCA). The US Embassy reminds 

US citizens of the continued threats impacting 

the country due to an unpredictable security 

situation.” (US Department of State, 28 October 

2016) 

South Africa: US issues Security Message 

On 31 October 2016, the US Embassy in Pretoria 

issued a Security Message, which reads in part 

as follows: "The US Diplomatic Mission to South 

Africa informs US citizens that the Economic 

Freedom Fighters (EFF) have planned a 

demonstration for Wednesday, November 2 at 

8:00 A.M. at Church Square, in the Pretoria 

central business district. The purpose of the 

demonstration is to protest alleged government 

corruption and demand free tertiary education. 

US citizens are reminded that even 

demonstrations intended to be peaceful can 

turn confrontational and escalate into violence." 

(US Department of State, 31 October 2016) 

Significant dates 

23 October – 10 November 

Somalia: Parliamentary elections 

1 November 

Algeria: Revolution Day 


Liberia: Thanksgiving Day 


Morocco: Green March Day 


Mozambique: Maputo Day 

Nigeria: Anniversary of execution of Ken Saro- 

Wiwa 

Algeria 

ISIS claims killing of police officer 

The Islamic State group has claimed 

responsibility for the killing of an Algerian police 

officer while he was reportedly dining in a 

restaurant. 

The group has been trying to expand in Algeria, 

where al-Qaeda's North African branch and 

other Islamic extremist groups have been based 

and have long fought Algerian authorities. 

The ISIS-affiliated Amaq news agency said in a 

statement that ISIS fighters shot the officer and 

seized his weapon in the attack Friday in 

Constantine, 400km east of the capital Algiers. It 

later posted a picture of what it said was the 

officer's gun. 

Algerian authorities confirmed the police officer 

was killed by an unnamed "terrorist group", but 

did not provide details or comment on the ISIS 

claim. The attackers are at large. (AP, 31 

October 2016) 

Return to Contents 

Ethiopia 

Without reform Ethiopia risks a 

deepening crisis 

Faced with its most serious challenge yet, the 

Ethiopian government, a crucial Western ally in 

the fight against terrorism, risks a deepening 

crisis if promised reforms do not come, 

researchers and analysts warn. 

Page 2 of 11




A nationwide state of emergency since 9 

October combined with the mass arrest of more 

than 2,500 people has suppressed months of 

widespread and sometimes deadly antigovernment 

protests. 

On Monday state media reported that the 

majority of those rounded up had been 

released, but mobile internet and the social 

networks used to mobilise protesters remain 

blocked as the government seeks a decisive end 

to the unrest. 

The challenge to the government has been 

strongest in the Oromo and Amhara regions - 

which together account for over 60 percent of 

the population - and these areas are now in a 

siege-like state. 

"The government wants to show its strength. 

The state of emergency has a psychological 

impact by increasing the feeling of fear and 

insecurity among the population," said Rene 

Lefort, an independent Horn of Africa 

researcher. 

Too little change, too slow 

But force alone will not solve the underlying 

problems and Lefort said he is "sceptical about 

the ability and willingness of the regime to open 

up" raising fears that in the absence of 

concessions to the protesters, the situation will 

worsen. 

Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn has 

offered to reform the winner-takes-all electoral 

system which has allowed his ruling Ethiopian 

People's Revolutionary Democratic Front 

(EPRDF) coalition to win every seat in parliament 

in the 2015 poll. 

But even if reforms come, they will not take 

effect until the next election due in 2020, while 

a proposed government reshuffle has yet to be 

carried out. 

Jean-Nicolas Bach, an Ethiopia specialist and 

director of Sudan's Centre for Social, Legal and 

Economic Studies and Documentation said the 

EPRDF is committed to its own continuity and 

may not be capable of adequate change, citing 

its "hegemonic ambitions and authoritarian 

mode of government". 

"The goals of the EPRDF have always been clear: 

maintain power to take the country on the path 

of development. As for democracy, it will come 

when it comes," Bach said. 

The regime, led by former rebel commander and 

strongman Meles Zenawi from 1991 until his 

death in 2012, is credited with real economic 

progress that saw a decade of around 10 

percent annual growth. 

But development has been accompanied by a 

squeezing of political space, disregard for 

human rights and a growing outcry at alleged 

government corruption. 

Foreign investors deterred 

The brutal repression of the protest movement - 

- human rights organisations say several 

hundred have been killed by security forces - 

combined with lack of any political change 

triggered an explosion of violence in recent 

weeks, seriously undermining Ethiopia's 

reputation as a stable country. 

Page 3 of 11




"The protests have significantly undermined the 

ruling coalition and genuine stability will take 

years to recover," said Emma Gordon, an analyst 

at Maplecroft Verisk, a risk management firm. 

"Until then, further divestments, particularly by 

Western agribusiness firms, are likely to be 

announced." 

The most likely scenario, said Gordon, is a 

continuing weak but persistent challenge to 

government authority because, the "proposed 

reforms are unlikely to fully satisfy" opponents. 

Protesters want "more sweeping concessions" 

to reduce the dominance of the minority 

Tigrayan leaders in the EPRDF and for security 

forces to be reined in. 

But none of this is on the table - meaning, 

Gordon said, another eruption of protests is 

likely "in relation to military deployments or 

evidence of continued restrictions on the 

political opposition." (AFP, 31 October 2016) 


Kenya 

Government questions survivability of 

ICC 

On Monday, many countries pledged support for 

the International Criminal Court (ICC) following 

the announced withdrawal by three African 

countries, but Kenya, which the tribunal is 

investigating, was sharply critical and 

questioned its long-term survival. 

Many in the General Assembly called for talks 

between the ICC and the African Union in hopes 

of addressing the continent's concerns and 

reversing the decisions to leave by Burundi, 

South Africa and Gambia. 

Kenyan Ambassador Tom Amolo did not say 

whether his country would also leave, but he 

told the assembly that his country was 

monitoring the withdrawals "with very keen 

interest." 

Nigeria, Senegal, the first country to ratify the 

Rome Statute that established the court, and 

Tanzania reiterated their support for the ICC, 

stressing the court's importance in combatting 

impunity for the world's most atrocious crimes, 

including genocide. 

The ICC has been accused of bias by some 

African leaders because since the Rome treaty 

came into force in 2002, only four people have 

been convicted of war crimes and crimes against 

humanity. Three were from Congo and one from 

Mali. So far, it has indicted only suspects from 

Africa, and of the 10 full-scale investigations 

currently underway, nine are in Africa and only 

one elsewhere — in the former Soviet republic 

of Georgia. 

But the ICC is expanding its global reach. It is 

currently conducting 10 so-called preliminary 

examinations — probes to establish whether to 

open a full investigation — in countries including 

Afghanistan, Ukraine and Colombia, as well as 

the Palestinian territories and alleged crimes by 

British forces in Iraq. 

ICC President Silvia Fernandez de Gurmendi, 

presenting the court's annual report to the 

Assembly, said two trials are under way and 

another is set to start soon. And following 

convictions, she said, proceedings for 

reparations for victims are under way in four 

cases. 

But Kenya's Amolo called the ICC's "dismal 

output of tangible results ... disheartening and 

simply confounding." 

Page 4 of 11




He accused the court of having lower standards 

than national courts and warned that 

"something radical and urgent must be done if 

this court is to stand any chance of long-term 

survival as a viable and credible international 

institution." 

The ICC indicted Kenyan President Uhuru 

Kenyatta on charges of crimes against humanity 

for 2007 post-election violence in which more 

than 1,000 died. The case collapsed because of 

what the ICC prosecutor called threats to 

witnesses, bribery and lack of cooperation by 

Kenya's government, but it remains open. 

Amolo said African countries "have tried to 

engage constructively" with the ICC with little 

success. 

Tanzania's UN Ambassador Tuvako Manongi said 

the courts "particularly tumultuous relationship 

with Africa ... has engendered fear of an African 

exodus from the court." 

But he said "that need not be the case," pointing 

to the African Union's commitment to justice 

and the rule of law. 

Manongi called for "confidence building 

measures" on how the ICC functions and 

interacts with the 124 countries that have 

ratified the Rome Statute. 

New Zealand's UN Ambassador Gerard von 

Bohemen said "better engagement" with the AU 

and African nations is needed. And he expressed 

hope that in the coming year, before the 

withdrawals take effect, "there is room for 

meaningful dialogue on a potential resolution 

and to provide for a pathway back to the court." 

(AP, 1 November 2016) 


Economy projected to grow 5.9 percent 

Kenya’s economy is projected to grow at 5.9 

percent in 2016 up from 5.6 percent in 2015 

according to the World Bank’s Kenya Economic 

Update (KEU) released in Nairobi on Monday. 

Diarietou Gaye, World Bank Country Director for 

Kenya said that Kenya remained “one of the 

bright spots in Sub Saharan Africa”. 

Gaye said Kenya’s economy has outpaced the 

average for the African region of 1.7 percent 

adding that the prevailing macroeconomic 

stability would ensure more stable prices for 

essentials like food, fuel, housing and 

transportation. 

The World Bank (WB) report said that Kenya’s 

overall economic performance remained robust 

over the past eight years and is expected to 

continue into the medium term with projected 

economic growth above six percent in 2017 and 

2018. 

“The key drivers for this growth include; a 

vibrant services sector, enhanced construction, 

currency stability, low inflation, low fuel prices, a 

growing middle-class and rising incomes, a surge 

in remittances, and increased public investment 

in energy and transportation.” 

The report comes soon after another recent one 

that showed Kenya is among the top five 

economies in Sub-Saharan Africa where it is 

easiest to do business. 

The report said the economy remained 

vulnerable to potential risks, which could derail 

growth momentum noting in particular that 

Kenya’s system of Public Investment 

Management (PIM) had “systemic weaknesses, 

reflected in low execution and cost escalation of 

infrastructure projects.” 

Page 5 of 11




“To sustain Kenya’s growth momentum over the 

medium term, it will be important to manage 

risks that may arise such as a subdued global 

economy, volatility in global financial markets, 

and domestic shocks such as adverse weather 

conditions,” noted Jane Kiringai, Senior 

Economist and Lead Author of the KEU report. 

(Africa News Agency, 31 October 2016) 


Libya 

Government forces push to oust IS 

fighters from Sirte 

US-backed Libyan forces said they were trying to 

avoid harming trapped women and children as 

they thrust into the last area held by Islamic 

State (IS) militants in their former stronghold of 

Sirte. 

Brigades led by fighters from the city of Misrata 

and backed by US air strikes appear close to 

recapturing Sirte after a campaign lasting more 

than five months, though their progress has 

been slowed by snipers, car bombs and hidden 

explosives. 

A statement from the Libyan forces aligned with 

a UN-brokered unity government in Tripoli said 

they were advancing in Sirte's Ghiza Bahriya 

district "in the face of desperate resistance". 

In recent weeks several groups of civilians, 

including women and children who were held 

captive by Islamic State, have escaped or been 

released from the area of fighting. 

The field hospital in Sirte listed one fighter from 

Misrata as having died in Monday's clashes. 

Islamic State took full control of Sirte in early 

2015, extending its control along about 250 km 

of Libya's Mediterranean coastline. 

The United States began an air campaign over 

Sirte on 1 August, and has so far carried out 

more than 350 strikes against Islamic State 

positions and equipment. 

In London on Monday, the US, British and Italian 

foreign ministers met Libyan Prime Minister 

Fayez Seraj to tackle a political standoff 

preventing the UN-brokered unity government 

from expanding its authority outside the capital 

Tripoli. (Reuters, 31 October 2016) 


Mali 

Islamist militant leader announces 

unilateral cease-fire 

Some residential buildings had been retaken 

from Islamic State, said, a spokesman. 

"There are some women and children trapped 

inside Ghiza Bahriya and it is well known that 

they have been used as human shields by Daesh 

(Islamic State)," said spokesman Rida Issa, using 

a derogatory Arabic acronym for the jihadist 

militants. 

"Our forces are trying very hard to avoid heavy 

weapons so as not to hurt those civilians." 

The leader of the Islamist militant group Ansar 

Dine has agreed to cease attacks in Mali that 

have killed dozens of civilians, soldiers and UN 

peacekeepers this year, the president of the 

country's High Islamic Council said on Monday. 

Page 6 of 11




Al Qaeda-linked Ansar Dine and other Islamist 

groups hijacked a Tuareg rebel uprising in 2012 

to seize Mali's desert north, but they were 

pushed out by a French-led military operation a 

year later. 

However, they have intensified operations this 

year, attacking parts of the west and south 

previously considered secure and raising fears 

the violence will spill over into other regions. 

"I confirm having received from (Ansar Dine 

leader) Iyad Ag Ghali the cessation of hostilities 

throughout the country," Mahmoud Dicko, 

president of the High Islamic Council said, 

adding that he would soon brief Malian 

authorities. 

In a letter to Dicko, published on Malian news 

site malijet.com, Ag Ghali said he agreed to stop 

attacks at Dicko's request. 

Ag Ghali did not say how long the cease-fire 

would last or what he expected in return from 

Malian authorities. 

Mali's government and northern separatist 

groups signed an agreement last year that 

aimed to end decades of Tuareg uprisings and 

allow the army to focus of fighting Islamist 

militants. 

Ag Ghali is a renegade Tuareg commander and 

has ties to the separatists, but Ansar Dine was 

excluded from the agreement. 

The United States named Ag Ghali a "specially 

designated global terrorist" in 2013. He has also 

been sanctioned by the United Nations for his 

ties to al Qaeda. 

Meanwhile, the Islamic State news agency Amaq 

confirmed on Sunday a pledge of allegiance 

from a Saharan militant group called Islamic 

State in the Greater Sahara, which has claimed 

attacks in Mali and Burkina Faso in recent 

weeks. 

It was the first sign of recognition by leaders of 

Islamic State for the group, which had declared 

its allegiance in May 2015 after splitting from an 

al Qaeda faction. 

Analysts say the timing might suggest that the 

group has proven its worth to the central 

command. It also shows Islamic State's growing 

reliance on foreign affiliates, as the 

headquarters of its self-declared caliphate 

comes under attack in Iraq. (Reuters, 31 October 



Nigeria 

Militant group threatens more attacks if 

army campaign continues 

On Monday, the Niger Delta Avengers (NDA) 

threatened to step up attacks on oil facilities in 

the Niger Delta if President Buhari pursues a 

military campaign, casting a shadow over peace 

talks between the government and other 

groups. 

On Tuesday, Buhari is due to meet Niger Delta 

leaders and representatives of various militant 

groups in Abuja, the first time since the 

government began a dialogue in June to end a 

wave of attacks on oil facilities that has crippled 

output. 

The stakes are high as Nigeria badly needs peace 

in the impoverished swamp land to bring back 

oil output, which at its lowest point halved from 

2.2 million barrels per day in January, to drag 

Africa's biggest economy out of recession. 

Analysts say the NDA are the region's most 

sophisticated militants and receive help from 

Page 7 of 11




inside oil companies advising which facility to 

attack. Their divers blew up a Shell undersea 

pipeline, which stopped up to 300,000 bpd 

overnight. 

Buhari ordered a heightened military presence 

in the region in May which saw the introduction 

of patrols in remote communities which has 

stoked anger in the last few months. 

An offensive targeting militant camps launched 

in August led to the deaths of five people and 

the arrests of 23 others. The death of an exmilitant 

leader's 84-year-old father due to 

injuries allegedly sustained in an army raid 

marked a flashpoint. 

The threat from the NDA comes days after they 

claimed a strike on a Chevron pipeline last week 

- only the second since saying in August they 

would cease hostilities to pursue talks. They said 

it was carried out as a warning to oil companies. 

The Avengers want a greater share of Nigeria's 

oil wealth to be directed to the Delta region, 

which produces most of the crude oil whose 

sales account for around two-thirds of 

government revenue. 

In 2009, the last administration ended a 

previous Niger Delta insurgency by offering cash, 

contracts and job training for those fighters who 

stopped blowing up pipelines. 

The militants resumed their fight in January 

after Buhari shook up the amnesty as much of 

the payments worth some $300 million annually 

had ended up in the pockets of "generals". Some 

had become millionaires on contracts protecting 

pipelines they used to blow up. 

The Avengers in August said they would halt 

hostilities to pursue talks with the government. 

NDA spokesman Mudoch Agbinibo said that the 

NDA had given a mandate to local community 

leader Edwin Clark to handle negotiations. 

(Reuters, 31 October 2016) 


Government to investigate alleged rapes 

by police and troops 

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered an 

investigation into allegations by a rights group of 

rapes by soldiers and police of women and girls 

fleeing the Islamist militant group Boko Haram. 

Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a statement 

published on Monday that 43 cases of "sexual 

abuse, including rape and exploitation” had 

been documented by its researchers in July. 

The women and girls were housed at seven 

camps in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, 

for people displaced by Boko Haram's 

insurgency, the rights group said. 

The Islamist campaign has driven more than two 

million people from their homes and killed some 

15,000 in Nigeria's northeast. 

The rights group said it was also told of abuse 

carried out by camp leaders employed by 

authorities and members of local militias set up 

to help the military fight the insurgents. 

President Buhari was "worried and shocked" by 

the allegations, his spokesman Garba Shehu said 

in a statement on Monday. 

"President Buhari has instructed the inspector 

general of police and the state governors of the 

affected states to immediately commence 

investigations into the issue." 

Four people told HRW they had been drugged 

and raped. Thirty-seven said they had been 

coerced into sex through false promises of 

marriage and material and financial assistance. 

Page 8 of 11




A 17-year-old girl said she was raped by a 

policeman. 

"There are no reported cases of infractions of 

law by policemen on or off duty," Don Awunah, 

a spokesman for Nigeria's national police force, 

said on Monday in response to the allegations. 

(Reuters, 31 October 2016) 


Rwanda 

Government names 22 French army 

officers accused of genocide 

On Monday, Rwanda's government said that 22 

French senior military officers helped to plan 

and carry out the 1994 genocide, in which more 

than 800,000 people were killed. 

The French officers were involved both as 

perpetrators and accomplices, Rwanda's 

National Commission for the Fight against 

Genocide said in a statement Monday. 

The publication of the list, including four French 

generals, comes after French investigators this 

month reopened an inquiry into the plane crash 

that killed a Rwandan president and sparked the 

genocide. 

The list published by Rwanda names Gen 

Jacques Lanxade, who was the special chief of 

staff for French President Francois Mitterrand 

from April 1989 to April 1991 and army chief of 

staff from April 1991 to September 1995. 

According to Rwanda, Lanxade received reports 

of abuses by the Rwandan army but maintained 

assistance that included the provision of military 

equipment and trainers. Other senior army 

officers cited include Gen Christian Quesnot, 

Gen Jean-Pierre Huchon and Gen Jean-Claude 

Lafourcade. 

The cause of the aircraft crash has been a 

contentious issue. The plane had a French crew. 

Militants from Rwanda's Hutu majority blamed 

minority Tutsis for the death of then-President 

Juvenal Habyarimana, sparking the slaughter of 

Tutsis and moderate Hutus. 

The Rwandan government insists the aircraft 

was shot down by extremists who opposed the 

government's efforts to forge a peace deal with 

Tutsi-led rebels who had invaded Rwanda from 

Uganda, where they had lived as refugees. 

A French investigation completed in 2012 found 

that the missile fire came from a military camp. 

But Kagame, the leader of rebels who ended the 

genocide, has been accused by a prominent 

Rwandan exile of ordering that the plane be 

shot down. 

French judges in charge of the investigation 

have filed an international request to speak to 

former Rwandan military chief Kayumba 

Nyamwasa. That decision angered Kagame, who 

said France should be on trial for its alleged role 

in the genocide. 

Nyamwasa said in 2012 that he has evidence 

Kagame ordered the shooting down of the 

plane. 

Page 9 of 11




Nyamwasa, once a close ally of Kagame, now 

lives in South Africa and has survived multiple 

assassination attempts that he blames on the 

Rwandan government. (AP, 31 October 2016) 


South Africa 

State prosecutor drops fraud charges 

against finance minister 

On Monday, South Africa's state prosecutor 

dropped fraud charges against Finance Minister 

Pravin Gordhan, the latest twist in a police 

investigation that has rattled financial markets 

in the country. 

Worries that Gordhan could be prosecuted or 

even removed from his job have also increased 

the risk that credit rating agencies would 

downgrade South Africa to "junk" status, 

undermining efforts to revive economic growth. 

The charges triggered a backlash from 

opposition political parties, civil society, big 

business and some senior members of the ruling 

African National Congress (ANC). Abrahams 

denied any political interference in the probe. 

Analysts and supporters of Gordhan say the 

charges could be a ploy by President Jacob Zuma 

and his allies to discredit a finance minister who 

stood in the way of their securing access to 

lucrative government contracts. 

The president has denied that he is in conflict 

with Gordhan. (Reuters, 31 October 2016) 


Spain 

African migrants storm border in Ceuta 

The rand gained as much as 1.6 percent against 

the dollar, while bonds firmed as the head of the 

National Prosecuting Authority, Shaun 

Abrahams, read his decision at a media 

conference in the capital, Pretoria. 

"I am satisfied that... Gordhan did not have the 

requisite intention to act unlawfully," Abrahams 

said, adding he owed nobody an apology and 

would not resign after the flip-flop on the 

decision to prosecute. 

Gordhan was due to face charges in court on 

Wednesday that he fraudulently approved early 

retirement for a deputy tax commissioner and 

re-hired him as a consultant, costing the 

revenue service $80,000. 

Gordhan, who is widely respected in financial 

markets, said the accusations were politically 

motivated. 

About 220 African migrants forced their way 

through a barbed wire fence into Spain's North 

African enclave of Ceuta on Monday, clashing 

with Spanish police who tried to prevent them 

from crossing the border with Morocco. 

Thirty-two migrants were treated in hospital for 

minor injuries after pushing their way through 

two gates just before 2 a.m., while three Spanish 

policemen also needed medical attention, the 

government said. 

The legal status of the migrants in Spain has yet 

to be determined, and police were searching for 

some who fled into hills inside the territory. 

Page 10 of 11




Spain's two enclaves in Morocco, Ceuta and 

Melilla, have been favoured entry points into 

Europe for African migrants, who either climb 

over their border fences or swim along their 

coastlines. 

After thousands crossed over in 2014 and 2015, 

Spain stepped up security, partly funded by 

European authorities, and passed a law enabling 

its border police to refuse refugees the 

opportunity to apply for asylum. 

Since then Libya has become a more common 

departure point for African migrants, most from 

sub-Saharan countries, who attempt the 

crossing to Italy in boats that often break down 

or sink. More 3,740 migrant deaths have been 

recorded this year in the central Mediterranean, 

most along that route. (Reuters, 31 October 



Regional 

World piracy drops to 20-year low: IMB 

Pirate attacks worldwide fell to a 20-year low in 

the third quarter, the International Maritime 

Bureau (IMB) said Monday, as it credited antipiracy 

efforts by authorities and the shipping 

industry. 

The IMB said in its latest quarterly report that 42 

instances of piracy on the high seas were 

recorded in July-September. 

The IMB cautioned that pirate attacks involving 

hostage-taking, particularly near Nigeria, 

remained a problem and advised shipmasters 

and response agencies to stay vigilant. 

World piracy has been on the decline since 2012 

after international naval patrols were launched 

off East Africa in response to a spate of violent 

assaults by mostly Somali-based pirates. 

There have been no attacks off Somalia so far 

this year, according to the IMB. 

The IMB's attention has shifted to Indonesia, 

which saw piracy rise sharply in 2015, typically 

involving low-level strikes on vessels 

transporting fuel. 

But the IMB report said attacks in Indonesian 

waters had "plummeted" to 33 in the first nine 

months of this year from 86 in the same period 

in 2015. 

"Patrols by the Indonesian Marine Police appear 

to be working," the report said. 

The 33 Indonesia attacks in January-September 

remained the highest number in the world, 

followed by 31 off Nigeria. (AFP, 31 October 



END 

"With just 42 attacks worldwide this quarter, 

maritime piracy is at its lowest since 1996," it 

said. 

The bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre recorded 

141 incidents from January to September, a 25 

percent drop from the same period in 2015. 

Page 11 of 11

Africa Daily Digest 1 November 2016

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