US security firm provides armed escort to curb pirate attacks

A private US security firm is working with a Mombasa-based shipping line to provide armed escort to ships using the East Coast of Africa in a bid to order to reduce piracy along Somalia’s coast.

Espada Logistics and Security Group, based in San Antonio, Texas, plans to invest up to $50 million to boost its vessels, which will be deployed in East Africa to escort vessels from the ports of Mombasa and Dar es Salaam to Yemen.

Ships are currently avoiding the Somalia waters and are taking a longer route, said Mr Ibrahim Ahmed Abdinoor, chief executive officer of African Shipping Line, Espada’s local agent
Espada has 14 vessels with armed personnel who will offer security from the East African ports to Yemen.

Most of the firm’s security team have military training and experience in defending ships, Mr Abdinoor said.

Espada has 50 personnel, and expects to increase this to 150 when physical escort along the Somali waters takes ships in the coming months.

“Although the United Nations and international forces have acted to prevent ship hijackings, they cannot protect every ship that travels through this vast and strategic stretch of water. Some shipping companies are turning to private security firms for help,” a joint statement issued by the African Shipping Line and Espada said.

The firm is already providing security by putting officers on a ship at its port of origin to the point of destination.

The officers provide anti-piracy training en route to the Gulf of Aden and focus on attack prevention, Abdinoor said.

“The problem with this approach is that it stretches what should be a three-day job into nearly three weeks in some cases. It’s not a great financial model for us or for them because it ties up a team,” says Mr Jim Jorrie, Espada’s president.

The team trains the crew to mobilise fire hoses and other non lethal means to repel pirates.

Crews are further taught how to react if their ships are boarded, making sure that they know which alerts to sound and what parts of the ship to lock themselves into if pirates board a vessel.

“If pirates are spotted, the Espada team will let them know that the ship is well armed, the goal being to deter attacks rather than to engage and capture the pirates,” Jorrie said.

The additional cost of fuel per ship due to the longer voyage is $3.5 million (Sh280 million) according to Jorrie, which is not comparable with the cost of hiring security in order to use the shorter route through Somali waters.

“Ships from Dubai to Mombasa used to take six to seven days, but the voyage is today taking 12 days since shipping lines are now taking a longer route, further from the Somali coast, to avoid that coastline,” Mr Abdinoor said.

A ship from Mumbai in India, which previously took 12 days, is today spending 18 days at sea since the voyage has to move further down South near Madagascar, Abdinoor added.