North Korean Ships Reflag in Tanzania
Around 50 ships owned by or related to North Korea have reflagged in Tanzania since the United Nations Security Council adopted its strongest-ever resolution on the country in March, in an apparent attempt to circumvent the sanctions.
"The change of nationality into Tanzania comes in violation of the UNSC resolution," a report in Korea Herald said, indicating Resolution 2270's ban on North Korean ships sailing under the flag of other countries.
The group of vessels includes one ship blacklisted by the U.N.'s sanctions committee and the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Washington, D.C.-based NK News said, citing European shipping database Equasis and Port State Control.
The numbers and time frames indicate an unprecedented campaign to reflag vessels with links to the DPRK, dwarfing previous flurries of changes that occurred after the UN and U.S. designated a North Korean shipping company in 2014.
Resolution 2270 calls on U.N. member countries to revoke the local registration of ships owned by North Korea or carrying North Korean citizens, while also ordering them not to allow new registration of ships that were de-registered in other countries.
The re-registering could also put the Tanzanian registry in breach of UN Resolutions.