The entire coastline of Cabo Delgado and the sea up to 92 km from the coast has been named a “Hull Warfare, Piracy, Terrorism and Related Dangers Area “on April 26 by the Joint War Committee (JWC) of Lloyd ‘s Market Association (LMA) and the International Subscription Association (IUA). The zone includes all gas fields, both Area 1 (Total) and Area 4 (Exxon) and will include ENI’s floating LNG platform South South, which is 50 km from the coast. This means that any boat that goes to Pemba, Afungi or the gas facilities is considered at risk and will need extra war insurance. (Circulars JWC 026 and 027, April 26 and 29) Which has serious implications for normal traffic at the port of Pemba and all shipments related to gas fields. Total is unlikely to return until the list is removed. The Mozambican navy does not have the capacity to protect the coast. French navies, South Africa and India patrol the Mozambique Channel. At present, neither the insurgents nor the Mozambican navy have a significant maritime presence. Insurgents control coastal areas, mainly with the use of small boats, but if foreign intervention causes an escalation, insurgents may have access to patrol boats. The French frigate Nivôse is on regular patrol on the Mozambique Channel and has captured drug traffickers. The frigate is stationed at the naval base in Réunion, a French overseas department 550 km east of Madagascar – 2400 km sailing distance from Pemba. But the French island of Mayotte, 500 km east of Pemba, also has a military presence. South Africa has been on a regular patrol along the Mozambique Channel, called Operation Copper, since 2011. to combat terrorist threats. Earlier this year, the SAN Navy increased patrols with a continued deployment of 200 soldiers and said Operation Copper would continue until March 2023. A recent Defense Forces briefing to parliament indicated only that they were talking to the government of Mozambique on that. (SABC April 2; DefenseWeb May 12) India is also interested in the Mozambique Channel and three patrol ships were the first to arrive in Beira during Cyclone Idai in 2019. India conducted joint patrols with France. India has built a new naval base on the island of Agalega do Norte, northeast of Madagascar. It seems likely that Total and France will require the French navy to take control of the coastal waters of Cabo Delgado and the gas area in order for the terrorist threat to be lifted quickly. (J.H.) Source: Letter from Mozambique
Tradução automática do artigo:Aceder ao artigo original