IMCA Security Committee Bulletin 01/21

For this briefing we have provided a short update on developments in Mozambique, as well in as the Gulf of Guinea.

Mozambique

Members will be aware of the deteriorating security situation in the Cabo Delgado of northern Mozambique, offshore of which a number of IMCA members are known to have operations. Just before Easter there was a significant worsening of this situation when a number of people were killed by Islamist insurgents in an assault on Palma, close to Total’s LNG site in the Cabo Delgado Province.

The continuing insurgency in Cabo Delgado Province poses a significant security, economic, and humanitarian threat to Mozambique. IMCA understands that the security situation remains uncertain. The fighting has resulted in dozens of casualties. Evacuations have continued, by boat, helicopter and road convoy, and at least one convoy transporting civilians out of the area has been ambushed.

IMCA understands that the situation is not likely to improve in the next six months, with consequent further security risk nearby, risk of robbery, kidnapping, and hijacking of small vessels in local territorial waters, and continued clashes between insurgents and the Mozambican military, which, it is understood, lacks the capabilities to deal with the insurgency.

The insurgency poses a significant threat to Mozambique’s natural gas industry, blocking multiple major construction projects for LNG facilities. Three of Africa’s largest natural gas projects are located in Cabo Delgado province with a total value equalling approximately $60 billion. Total has suspended construction operations locally because of the deteriorating security situation.

Gulf of Guinea

Piracy, particularly kidnap-and-ransom attacks, in the Gulf of Guinea remains a serious concern. IMCA understands that the root causes of piracy in the area, particularly in the Niger Delta, is unlikely to change any time soon. Effective counter-piracy efforts from Nigeria may be seen as very important in dealing with the threat in the area.

The ever-increasing threat faced by those operating in the Gulf of Guinea has led the OCIMF Maritime Security Committee to produce a set of Gulf of Guinea Bridge Cards intended as a quick reference during time of tension. These can be found here: https://www.ocimf.org/news/news-articles/gulf-of-guinea-bridge-cards. For further information please contact OCIMF’s Security Adviser, Russell Pegg at russell.pegg@ocimf.org.

Intelligence and information shareable within the IMCA membership since the last bulletin includes the following:

Committee members can find this information on SharePoint.

The IMCA Security Committee meets quarterly and consists of security and safety professionals from a range of IMCA members, as well as representatives from other industry organisations. The Committee is a sub-committee of the IMCA Health, Safety, Security & Environment (HSSE) Core Committee.  Further information on the security committee including a list of members, can be found at https://legacy.imca-int.com/committees/hsse/security/.