Nigeria and Western allies hold naval exercises in piracy hotspot

Nigeria and several Western allies have started annual joint naval exercises in the Gulf of Guinea to combat piracy and other criminal activity, officials said on Wednesday.

The region is a major maritime trade route stretching from Senegal to Angola, but a recent wave of piracy attacks has prompted shippers to request a more robust foreign naval presence.

Armed kidnappings of sailors reached record levels in 2020, according to the International Maritime Bureau (BMI), with the region accounting for 130 out of 135 attacks worldwide.

Earlier this month, pirates kidnapped 15 crew members from a Dutch chemical tanker after boarding the ship off the coast of Benin.

Nigerian Navy spokesman Suleman Dahun told AFP the annual code for the multinational exercise called “Obaganme Express,” launched in Lagos on Saturday.

The five-day exercise “aims to enhance expertise in tactical interdiction in the fight against piracy and other maritime illegalities in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG)”.

Officials said Nigeria is deploying six ships, two tugs, two helicopters and a Nigerian Air Force maritime patrol aircraft alongside US and French warships.

The exercise was taking place in the areas of the respective navies to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Nigerian Navy Senior Officer Jason Gbassa said that “the exercise is taking place against a backdrop of cases of piracy, illegal fishing, illegal exploration of mineral resources, proliferation of small arms and small arms. caliber and other local and international threats in the Gulf “.

US Consul General Claire Pierangelo said insecurity in the Gulf is of common interest to all nations engaged in the region.

“Although maritime threats within the Government of Sudan have continued to evolve and are increasingly difficult to address, a secure maritime environment is integral to other dimensions of security; it is the backbone of ‘healthy trade because it promotes economic development,’ she said.

Denmark announced earlier this month that it would send a naval frigate with dozens of Marines on board to the Gulf of Guinea to help deter pirate attacks on commercial ships.

Denmark, a large maritime nation, has advocated for a stronger international naval presence in the region following the increase in pirate attacks there.