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Why We Are Extending Naval Presence In GoG Till 2024-EU
Fred Omotara, Lagos
The European Union (EU) has said that it will be extending its naval presence in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) under the auspices of the Commercial Maritime Presence (CMP) until February 2024 inorder to allow West African countries to strengthen it’s anti-piracy mechanism to curtail piracy attacks on commercial vessels.
The Ambassador of France to Nigeria, Emmanuelle Blatman who was represented by the Consul General of France in Lagos, Laurence Monmayrant, at the 7th Lagos International Maritime Week said the decision to extend the CMP scheme is coming on the heels of the successes recorded by the initiative that has reduced more than 80 per cent of pirate attacks against commercial vessels in the Gulf of Guinea.
She advised that the mechanism to be deployed by ECOWAS must involve apprehension at sea, legal finish and imprisonment.
She also stated that the introduction of new patterns, both innovative and economically viable, can only be achieved if maritime routes are secure, pointing out that these routes cover huge areas where seafarers and goods must be safe for trade to happen