West Africa wants anti-piracy navel presence

A call for an international anti-piracy naval presence similar to that off the Horn of Africa has been made by West African leaders. Piracy off the Gulf of Guinea needs to be tackled with “firmness”, Ivory Coast’s president Alassane Ouattara said at a meeting of regional leaders in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde recently. This echoes a call by the European Community of Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) for “concrete EU action” against piracy in West Africa. The statement was issued after an ECSA Piracy Task Force meeting in June. “EU shipowners cannot resolve the situation themselves and call upon the EU and its member states for immediate and concrete action,” said the report, calling for international military presence outside territorial waters, and regional naval protection from within,” said the ECSA. An estimated 960 sailors were attacked in West Africa in 2012, compared to 851 off the Somali coast, according to figures recently released by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). According to the report, there was a 78% drop in piracy off Somalia last year compared with 2011. Patrols by foreign warships have reduced attacks by Somali pirates. Naval forces from around the world – including the European Union, China and the US – have been patrolling Somalia’s coast. South African naval vessels have been patrolling the Mozambique channel where they have been involved in a number of piracy-related incidents. This was due to better practices by ship’s captains and crews and the increasing use of armed guards aboard vessels in the region. The highest risk area for pirate activity in West Africa is off the coast of Nigeria. Cameroon’s President Paul Biya said at the meeting that it was vital to respond to the threat, to protect shipping routes and the economic interests of the region. West African pirates mostly steal fuel cargo and the crews’ possessions, often resorting to extreme violence, correspondents say. Five of the 206 hostages seized last year off West Africa were killed, according to the IMB report. Somali pirates usually seize a ship and its crew and hold them until a ransom is paid. At least 78 hostages are still being held captive by Somali pirates – some for more than two years.