No new military alliance against pirates

In the fight against piracy off West Africa, shipping should not hope for an international military mission for the time being. The focus is currently on other measures, which still have to prove their effectiveness.

It's that time again: the Nigerian government is launching a new anti-piracy programme, or rather a maritime security programme - garnished with grandiose announcements and a display of confidence. There have been positive reactions from the maritime industry and politicians. But what will become of the Deep Blue project (see below), which the Nigerian government has already initiated to protect against pirates? It would not be the first time that theory and practice or plan and reality have painted a very different picture.
The fact is that the Gulf of Guinea is still the world's biggest piracy hotspot. Even if there are positive trends in the meantime, there should be no illusion that the problem has been eradicated. According to the International Maritime Bureau, 40 seafarers were kidnapped in the first three months of the year alone, with 43 per cent of all incidents worldwide occurring in the region off West Africa. Last year alone saw a sad record of 130 kidnappings.