Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea
During an IMO symposium on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, concerns raised by the shipping industry were supported by figures from the International Maritime Bureau showing that the number of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea region had doubled in 2018.
There has also been a marked increase towards kidnapping for ransom and armed robbery incidents. Piracy expert Bertand Monnet, who has interviewed pirate gangs in the Niger Delta, estimated that there were approximately ten groups of pirates that were responsible for the majority of attacks in the area, and that they were well organised and motivated.
Speakers at the event emphasised that the region was starting to build capacity and joint cooperation to fight maritime crime through the Yaoundé process, which focuses on joint cooperation across the region for reporting and response. (kd)