How sailors protect themselves from pirates in the Gulf of Guinea

Issued on: 22/01/2021 - 12:30

An armed guard firing at a pirate vessel during an attack on the Cool Girl on December 3. © France 24

By: Djamel Belayachi Follow | Derek Thomson Follow

The Gulf of Guinea has become a hotspot for pirates – the number of sailors kidnapped increased by 40% between January and October 2020, according to the International Marine Bureau. Kidnappings in this region account for 95% of cases reported globally.

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The FRANCE 24 Observers obtained images of two recent pirate attacks and spoke with one sailor who filmed a video of one of the incidents.