
Mærsk okays some of its vessels to use Bab el-Mandeb
Ten days ago Maersk suspended all navigation in the Red Sea indefinitely due to the risk of being attacked in the area. However, Maersk ships were Monday given the green light to sail through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The company confirmed the move to both Ekstra Bladet and DR. The ships concerned are affiliated with the American subsidiary Maersk Line Ltd. and the cargo concerned belongs to the US Department of Defence, among others. Therefore, it is also “closely protected by the U.S. Navy,” the communication says.
“The ships have been able to sail at this time as a result of the presence of U.S. Navy units, which has reduced the danger to crews and cargo,” Mærsk said in a statement to the media. The incident that caused Mærsk to order its vessels around the Cape of Good Hope was when its “Maersk Hangzhou” was attacked in the Red Sea on December 30th. According to several reports, it was the Houthi movement in Yemen that was behind the missile attack. Members of the movement are said to have subsequently tried to board the Hangzhou. This initially caused Maersk to suspend all of its vessels from sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait temporarily for 48 hours, but that announcement was changed to be indefinite after New Year. /ritzau/