The pirates are highly specialised in taking ships by force.
In 2020 alone, a total of 82 pirate attacks occurred in this region, including two attacks on ships registered in Luxembourg.
The Gulf of Guinea is a major oil extraction site. Two companies who are registered to fly the Luxembourgish flag on their ships regularly send out vessels into this dangerous region off the west coast of Africa.
Arming themselves is not a defence option for the ships' crew members, instead, every ship has armed guards on board who can retaliate against a potential pirate attack.
Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot provided these details in response to a parliamentary question by MP Lydia Mutsch from the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (LSAP).
Around two weeks ago, the Luxembourgish ship Bourbon Evolution was attacked by pirates off the coast of Nigeria. Crew members managed to get themselves to safety by hiding in an internal structure of the ship.
