1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov February 26, 2019Gulf of Guinea: Recent Trends in Piracy and Armed RobberyArmed attacks against ships in the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea surged in 2018, making these waters off West and Central Africa the worlds most dangerous for piracy and armed robbery. The escalation
2、confirms the Gulf of Guineas status as the main locus for maritime insecurity in Africa, which had long been associated with the Horn of Africa, particularly Somalia. Rising piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea likely reflects the regions growing prominence in global maritime trade, as wel
3、l as capacity and coordination gaps among many of the regions navies. Successive U.S. Administrations have considered maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea to be of U.S. strategic interest. U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM)s 2019 Posture Statement, provided as written testimony to Congress in February
4、, describes the Gulf of Guinea as “a strategic priority due to its role in global oil markets, trade routes, and the residence of approximately 75,000 U.S. citizens” in the region. Accordingly, the Departments of Defense and State support country-level and cross-border efforts to curtail piracy and