Maersk reroutes vessels around Africa, suspends Red Sea sailing, again
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The Danish shipping company cites the tense security situation in the Red Sea for its decision.
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Container of the transport company 'Maersk' are located in Berlin's Westhafen port in Berlin, Germany, Wednesday, June 29, 2022 (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)
The Danish shipping giant Maersk announced on Friday that its ships, which were scheduled to cross the Red Sea, will change their course toward the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
This comes after the firm made mixed signals recently over its final decision regarding its vessels navigating through the strategic trade route, due to the Yemeni operations targeting Israeli and "Israel"-bound ships in response to the genocide in Gaza and in support of the people of the Strip.
Read more: Yemeni resistance actions unleashes 173% surge in container spot rates
Our CEO Vincent Clerc provides details on the re-routing of vessels and Red Sea disruption in an interview on @moneymoverscnbc #maersk #logisticsnews #RedSeasecurity https://t.co/RqomnxAosR
— Maersk (@Maersk) December 19, 2023
Maersk announced less than two weeks ago that its ships would resume sailing in the Red Sea, citing the launching of the US-led maritime coalition under the Operation Prosperity Guardian initiative.
However, after the 20-nation group failed to prevent Sanaa from actionably enforcing its equation and Yemening the Maersk Hangzhou ship heading to the occupation entity last week, the firm said it would pause all vessels passing through the Red Sea and has since begun redirecting operations around Africa.
"The situation is constantly evolving and remains highly volatile, and all available intelligence at hand confirms that the security risk continues to be at a significantly elevated level," a company statement read on Friday.
Reaffirming Sanaa's position, the armed forces declared that all navigation is safe for all vessels, and operations will only target those fitting the criteria set by Yemen.
In its latest operation, the Yemeni Armed Forces revealed on Thursday that they have struck CMA CGM TAGE that was heading to "Israel," reiterating that the operation was carried out in support of Gaza and that the army will continue its ban on Israeli-linked ships until the war on Gaza ceases and people of the Strip receive sufficient food and medicine.
The attack came after the United States, UK, and France issued a "final warning" for Sanaa to stop its maritime operations in the Red Sea.
Read more: YAF continue to challenge US threats in the Red Sea
In response to the trio's statement, Sanaa confirmed that its equation will not change in support of Gaza, and cautioned that any attack on Yemen will be met with a decisive, severe, and large response.
