EU adopts strategy on Gulf of Guinea

The European Union (EU) has adopted a blueprint to support Gulf of Guinea countries to address various challenges in maritime insecurity and organised crime.

The EU foreign ministers at the end of their meeting on Monday said the strategy on the Gulf of Guinea was comprehensive and a  and long-standing approach of the 28-member bloc to support West and Central African countries’ efforts to overcome poverty and attain lasting stability and prosperity.

They said that piracy, armed robbery at sea, organised crime and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the Gulf of Guinea posed serious challenges to human security, human rights, economic activity and trade both at sea and on land.

They also recognised the need to protect both the populations in the Gulf of Guinea region and European citizens from the threats that emanate from the region.

The strategy was scheduled to be presented to the EU/Africa Summit in April