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tries along the Gulf of Guinea, the international community therefore cannot just watch from the sidelines. April saw navy ships from the United States, France, Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Turkey and Portugal all con- verge on the Gulf of Guinea for the fourth annual counter- piracy exercise involving 31 vessels and 20 countries. The African countries most affected by piracy, including Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, and Togo sent their ships to participate in scenarios aimed at en- hancing counter-piracy tactical expertise. That’s because all West African countries have felt the economic impact of the pirate activity. For instance in Benin, trade through the main port of Cotonou has dropped by 70 percent in just the past year alone. Formidable Opponents Involve Considerable Risk Modern pirates now wear night-vision goggles, carry AK- Pirate drill on ship. 18-33 Q2 MP2014.indd 27 5/16/2014 2:52:44 PM
