Gabon takes control of its flag

Confirmation of termination of international ship registry agreement

GABON: Following the lead of Comoros, the Government of Gabon has formally terminated its agreement with Intershipping Services LLC to manage its international ship registry.

A formal letter to the International Maritime Organisation delivered last week from the country’s High Commission to the United Kingdom confirmed that the decision to terminate the agreement was taken at a Council of Ministers meeting at the end of April 2026.

“I therefore wish to inform you that, on a transitional basis, management has been taken over by the Gabonese national maritime administration, represented by the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine and the Ship Registration Office in Libreville,” the letter adds.

The decision comes in response to the international sanction imposed on Intershipping by the European Union and the United Kingdom in July last year. At the time the UAE-based company operating as the official registrar for both the Gabon and Comoros registries and was seen to be facilitating the use of the flags by the Russian shadow fleet.

Established in 1994, Intershipping has been managing the Gabonese International Register of Ships since September 2018. The latest news of the termination of the agreement with Gabon will strip the company of any official active management any international registries.

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