[PULSE.NG] Asian and Europe...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum...
an seamen were kidnapped Thursday aboard a vessel in the Gulf of Guinea off the southern Cameroon
...a long, narrow country that fills the space between Nigeria and Chad on the northeast, CAR to the southeast. Prior to incursions by Boko Haram nothing ever happened there...
port of Douala, a senior Cameroonian navy source said.
"(They) were kidnapped this morning," said the source, who gave no details about the number or nationality of the kidnap victims.
"The kidnappers are probably Nigerian pirates," the source said. "Cameroonian forces have launched search operations."
An official at Douala port confirmed the kidnappings, and said the seamen had been taken after their ship came under attack.
"We don't know the number of kidnapped seamen for the time being," the official said.
The Gulf of Guinea, whose coastline stretches in a huge arc from Liberia to Gabon, is notorious for piracy as well as oil theft, illegal fishing and human and drugs trafficking.
According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) 62 seafarers were taken hostage or kidnapped in the area in the first half of 2019.
The Gulf of Guinea accounted for 73 percent of kidnappings and 92 percent of hostage-takings at sea worldwide, it says.
Related:
Gulf of Guinea: 2019-07-25 West Africa piracy threatens regional trade plans: Ghana minister
Gulf of Guinea: 2018-11-10 Nigeria Leads in Piracy Attacks in Gulf of Guinea - Report
Gulf of Guinea: 2016-02-28 Nigerian navy rescues oil tanker taken by pirates during US training mission
Gulf of Guinea: 2019-07-25 West Africa piracy threatens regional trade plans: Ghana minister
Gulf of Guinea: 2018-11-10 Nigeria Leads in Piracy Attacks in Gulf of Guinea - Report
Gulf of Guinea: 2016-02-28 Nigerian navy rescues oil tanker taken by pirates during US training mission