标签： Africa

In a concerning development off the Somali coast, attackers armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades boarded a Malta-registered gasoline tanker, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO). The incident occurred approximately 560 nautical miles southeast of the Somali town of Eyl. Private security firm Ambrey identified the assailants as likely Somali pirates, who have recently intensified their activities in the region. The vessel, named Hellas Aphrodite, was en route from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa, when it was targeted. Greek shipping company Latsco Marine Management, which operates the tanker, confirmed the attack but assured that all 24 crew members were safe and accounted for. The company has activated its emergency response team and is coordinating with authorities to ensure the crew’s continued safety. This incident highlights a worrying resurgence of piracy in the region, which had seen a decline after peaking over a decade ago. The International Maritime Bureau reported at least seven piracy incidents last year, with several fishing vessels already seized in 2024. The attack underscores the ongoing security challenges in the waters off Somalia and the need for heightened vigilance in the area.

Israel has confirmed that the remains of Joshua Mollel, a Tanzanian hostage killed during the Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, were handed over on Wednesday as part of a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire agreement. The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced that forensic tests conducted at the National Centre of Forensic Medicine confirmed Mollel’s identity, and his family has been informed. Mollel, a 21-year-old agricultural intern, was killed at Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the attack, and his body was subsequently taken by Hamas fighters. His return leaves six deceased hostages—five Israelis and one Thai—still in Gaza. The Israeli government expressed its condolences to the Mollel family and reiterated its commitment to recovering all remaining hostages. Hamas’s military wing stated that Mollel’s remains were recovered in eastern Shejaiya, Gaza City, before being handed over to the Red Cross. The ceasefire deal, which began on 10 October, initially required Hamas to release 20 living and 28 deceased hostages within 72 hours. While all living Israeli hostages were released by 13 October, the recovery of deceased hostages has been slow, delaying progress on the second phase of the Gaza peace plan. Israel has accused Hamas of intentionally obstructing the recovery process, while Hamas claims the bodies are buried under rubble. The conflict, which began with the 7 October attack that killed approximately 1,200 people, has resulted in over 68,800 deaths in Gaza, according to Hamas-run health authorities.

The African Union has rallied for enhanced continental collaboration to protect Africa’s biodiversity, as leaders, scientists, and policymakers convened in Gaborone, Botswana, for the first-ever Africa Biodiversity Summit. Held from Sunday to Wednesday, the summit, themed ‘Leveraging Biodiversity for Africa’s Prosperity,’ aimed to elevate biodiversity from a conservation concern to a strategic development priority, aligning with the AU’s Agenda 2063 vision of a prosperous and climate-resilient continent. Delegates from AU member states, regional economic communities, UN agencies, research institutions, civil society, and youth organizations participated in the event. The summit addressed the triple planetary crisis — biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution — while highlighting Africa’s natural wealth as a cornerstone for economic growth and community well-being. According to the UN’s World Population Prospects report, Africa’s population, currently around 1.5 billion, is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, intensifying pressure on biodiversity and nature’s capacity to sustain livelihoods. Rapid urbanization, deforestation, and unsustainable land use are exacerbating habitat loss, threatening species survival and undermining ecosystem services essential for food, water, and income. Harsen Nyambe, Director of Sustainable Environment and Blue Economy at the AU Commission, emphasized the urgency of collective action, describing Africa’s ecosystems as ‘lifelines’ critical to the continent’s identity and sustainability. He called for solutions rooted in African science, indigenous knowledge, and regional cooperation, urging that biodiversity be mainstreamed across sectors like agriculture, infrastructure, finance, and education. Miguel Cesar Domingos Bembe, representing Angola’s permanent representative to the AU, stressed that defending biodiversity is vital for Africa’s sovereignty, food security, and future prosperity. Botswana’s Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Boatametse Modukanele, urged stakeholders to translate knowledge into actionable results, emphasizing the need for community-level implementation of conservation frameworks.

The South African government has launched an investigation into the alleged recruitment of 17 of its citizens as mercenaries in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. President Cyril Ramaphosa revealed that the men, aged between 20 and 39, were deceived into joining the war under the guise of lucrative employment contracts. After becoming trapped in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region, they sought assistance to escape the conflict. While it remains unclear which side the men were fighting for, Russia has been accused of recruiting individuals from various countries, including South Africa, by offering false job opportunities. Additionally, Russia has been implicated in luring women from Africa to work in drone factories through misleading social media campaigns. President Ramaphosa condemned the exploitation of vulnerable individuals by foreign military entities and emphasized the government’s efforts to repatriate the affected citizens through diplomatic channels. This incident follows similar reports from India and Nepal, where citizens were allegedly recruited under false pretenses. An Associated Press investigation last year highlighted how hundreds of African women were tricked into working in a Russian drone plant amid the country’s wartime labor shortage. The South African government has since issued warnings about fraudulent job advertisements targeting young women.

In a brazen act of maritime piracy, attackers armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades boarded a Malta-flagged tanker off the coast of Somalia on Thursday, according to British officials. The vessel, identified as the Hellas Aphrodite, was en route from Sikka, India, to Durban, South Africa, when it came under assault. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center issued an alert, warning other ships in the area of the ongoing threat. Private security firm Ambrey confirmed the attack, attributing it to resurgent Somali pirates who have been increasingly active in the region. The attackers reportedly seized an Iranian fishing boat, the Issamohamadi, to use as a base of operations, though Iran has not officially acknowledged the incident. The Hellas Aphrodite’s crew of 24 mariners locked themselves in the ship’s citadel for safety during the attack, as the vessel lacked an armed security team. This incident follows a recent suspected pirate attack on the Cayman Islands-flagged Stolt Sagaland, where armed security forces engaged in a firefight with the assailants. Somali piracy, which peaked in 2011 with 237 attacks and $7 billion in global economic losses, had diminished due to international naval patrols and a stronger Somali government. However, piracy has resurged in recent months, partly fueled by regional instability caused by Yemen’s Houthi rebels and the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. In 2024 alone, seven incidents have been reported off Somalia, with multiple fishing boats seized by pirates.