One dead, four abducted after pirates attack vessels in Libreville, Gabon

One person was killed after an unidentified group of armed men attacked four vessels at the Port of Libreville in Gabon on the late evening (local time) of Saturday, December 21.

The pirates, who had carried out the raid using four speedboats, boarded the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier African Kalmia, the Panamanian-flagged landing craft Tropic Dawn, and the Chinese-flagged fishing vessels Guo Ji 838 and Guo Ji 867.

Gabonese officials say Tropic Dawn‘s master was killed during the raid on his vessel while four crewmembers from the two Chinese fishing boats were abducted by the perpetrators.

Local security forces, in cooperation with Interpol as well as counterpart agencies in neighbouring countries, have been continuously scouring the waters off Libreville for any sign of the pirates and the abducted Chinese fishermen.

Meanwhile, Gabonese government prosecutors have launched a judicial investigation into the unauthorised boardings, the fishermen’s abduction, and the landing craft captain’s death.