False flagging: Are vessels using African flags to evade sanctions?

…“Tanzania has been responsive and quick to de-flag vessels involved in sanctioned trade after they are informed,” Claire Jungman of United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), a US-based advocacy group, tells The Africa Report. The country does not have the resources to track vessels to the same extent as other countries, she adds, making it reliant on external organisations. This creates a loophole that can be exploited by those seeking to evade sanctions. False flagging is not limited to Tanzania alone. Since 2020, UANI’s letters have led to Cameroon deflagging eight tankers, Comoros deflagging five tankers, and Djibouti 11 tankers. Other countries that deflagged tankers include Gabon (10), Liberia (14), Sierra Leone (five), Tanzania (22), and Togo (three). All these were suspected of transporting sanctioned Iranian oil.