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Pirate attack on tanker "BITU River" off the coast of Central Africa
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
A pirate attack on a tanker occurred on the night of March 17-18. BITU River off the coast of Central Africa. Three armed assailants boarded the unit and fired at the crew. However, they failed to take control of the ship. After the incident, the unit headed for Owendo Port in Gabon.
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Pirate attack on BITU River. Take-over attempt failed
The Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade – Gulf of Guinea (MDAT-GOG) announced an alarm after receiving a report of a pirate attack on an unidentified initially tanker, about 40 nautical miles southeast of Santo Antonio on the island of Príncipe, owned by the Saint Thomas and Prince Islands. According to the information provided by MDAT-GoG, after some time the pirates left the unit leaving on their boat towards the Libreville coast of Gabon – probably in search of shelter.
The attacked ship turned out to be BITU River, a tanker flying the flag of Panama, operated by Rubis Asphalt, specializing in the distribution of bitumen (liquid asphalt) in the markets of West and Central Africa. A 15,500 DWT capacity unit was built in 2022 in China and is the fifth tanker in the fleet of this operator. The ship measures 145 metres long and is operated by a 14-man crew.
According to AIS data, BITU River He left the anchorage at Lome (Togo) on March 15 at 13:59 UTC, originally heading for the port of Douala (Kamerun), on board which was a bitumen cargo for recipients in West and Central Africa. According to reports, on the night of 17 to 18 March, three armed pirates were boarded and fired. However, it is not known when exactly the exchange of fire took place. On the other hand, it was reported that the shipowner's security officer informed MDAT-GoG that the attackers failed to take control of the tanker, resulting in them leaving the deck. Also missing information on whether the crew was robbed or kidnapped.
After the incident, the tanker changed course and on 18 March at 7:44 pm local time he entered Owendo port anchorage in Gabon for refuge. AIS data confirm that the unit is currently in the Gulf of Guinea area (19.03 p.m. Her current status is "At Anchor".
A growing pirate threat in the Gulf of Guinea
MDAT-GOG recalls that a similar incident occurred in the same zone on 21–22 December 2024, when the crew of another ship took refuge in the so-called citadel. This is a specially prepared space on the ship, designed to hide the crew in the event of a pirate attack. It is usually located in the engine room or other reinforced part of the unit. In the citadel, the crew can safely await assistance, having access to supplies, communications and basic equipment necessary to survive under isolation conditions. Subsequent pirate activities took place off the coast of Equatorial Guinea and Gabon, including an attack on a fishing boat in late January of that year.
Martin Kelly, head of advisory at EOS Risk Group, points out that the region is becoming "a new area dominated by West African pirates". Since the beginning of 2024, pirates have boarded six ships in the region. In three cases, a total of 14 crew members were taken.
Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz
