African Ports Overwhelmed by Ships Rerouting from Red Sea

By Al Mayadeen English

23 Dec 2023 20:03

More shipping companies are refraining from sending ships through the Red Sea, despite the naval coalition established by the US to protect Israeli ships.

Shipping firms crossing the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea are overwhelming African ports as they struggle with red tape, congestion, and inadequate facilities, according to corporations and analysts.

More shipping companies are refraining from sending ships through the Red Sea, despite the naval coalition established by the US to protect Israeli ships amid Yemen's attacks on Israeli ships in support of Gaza.

Over the past few weeks, the Yemeni Armed Forces intensified their operations, focusing on Israeli commercial vessels near or vessels heading to Israeli ports near the Bab al-Mandab strait in the Red Sea on ships that either belong to Israeli companies or are en route to "Israel".

A World Bank 2022 report from May indicates that South Africa's biggest ports, including Durban, one of Africa's largest in terms of container volumes handled, as well as Cape Town and Ngqura, are among the poorest performing in the world.

Alessio Lencioni, a logistics and supply chain consultant told Reuters "Even the state that Durban is in now, it is still the most advanced and largest port in Africa, so ships rerouting around the continent have very limited choices for berthing for replenishment," adding that other ports like Mombasa in Kenya and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania are too under-capitalized to manage the predicted traffic in the coming weeks.

Maersk stated that vessels traveling around the Cape will strive to fuel as close to their origin or destination as feasible.

Rough weather and the cyclone-prone Mozambique Channel, mean ships might burn through their fuel faster, making refueling services critical, according to shippers.

Analysts predict that fuel imports will grow to roughly 230 kilotonnes in December in anticipation of increased demand for marine fuel.

Younes Azzouzi, market analyst at data and analytics specialist Kpler reported that "South Africa is expecting a record high of fuel oil imports for December."

A disguise to maintain presence?

White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby said, on Tuesday, that attacks by Yemeni Armed Forces in the Red Sea must stop, vowing to "continue safeguarding ships from such targeting."

"Attacks on ships in the Red Sea have to stop," Kirby said during a press briefing.

Kirby was asked whether Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have indicated their readiness to join the US-led multinational effort if Washington supports a ceasefire in Gaza.

In response to the operations being carried out by the Yemeni people in support of occupied Palestine and the people of Gaza, the United States military launched a new coalition in the Red Sea called "Operation Prosperity Guardian," under the guise of securing maritime trade routes.

The United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain will be among the countries jointly working with the Pentagon under the coalition.

A member of the Supreme Political Council in Yemen, Mohammad Ali al-Houthi, confirmed in a statement to Al Mayadeen that the goal of the maritime coalition was intended to protect "Israel" and not international navigation.

Al-Houthi stressed that the discourse and statements of the YAF confirm that international navigation is safe for everyone, except for Israeli ships or those headed to the ports of the Israeli occupation.