EXERCISE OBANGAME EXPRESS 2013 ENDS

 

130223-N-ZL691-067 DOUALA, Cameroon (Feb. 23, 2013) Chief Hospital Corpsman Kevin Carpenter observes Cameroonian sailors practice medical techniques as part of Exercise Obangame Express 2013 (OE-13). OE-13 is a multinational at-sea naval exercise designed to increase counter-piracy capabilities of partner nations and deter other maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Josh Bennett/Released)

FROM: U.S. NAVY
Obangame Express 2013 Comes to a Successful Close
Story Number: NNS130301-17Release Date: 3/1/2013 2:39:00 PM
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jason Howard, Navy Public Affairs Support Element-East Detachment Europe

DOUALA, Cameroon (NNS) -- Exercise Obangame Express 2013 (OE-13), an at-sea naval exercise focused on counter-piracy and maritime security operations wrapped up in the Gulf of Guinea, Feb. 28.

OE-13 provided African, European and Atlantic partner maritime services the opportunity to work together, share information and refine methods in order to help Gulf of Guinea maritime nations better monitor and enforce their territorial waters and exclusive economic zones.

"Over the past week, the participants in this exercise conducted training which improved the interoperability between maritime forces of the participating nations, as well as the skills of individual Sailors," said Gen. Carter F. Ham, commander, United States Africa Command. "Maritime partnerships and maritime security and safety are increasingly important in the Gulf of Guinea region to combat a variety of challenges including maritime crime, illicit trafficking and piracy."

The exercise included a wide variety of training for all participating forces including at-sea ship boarding and queries, air operations, communication drills and regional information sharing.

"Obangame Express helps promote relationships between nations to combat these illicit activities in the Gulf of Guinea," said Capt. Dave Rollo, U.S. exercise director for OE-13. "These acts of piracy are not just an American problem. They are not just a Cameroonian problem; They're a global problem."

"Our naval forces must effectively strengthen the intervention capacity, using maritime surveillance systems and reliable equipment," said Mebe Ngo'o Edgard Alain, Cameroonian minister delegate of the presidency in charge of defence. "The required harmonization of operational procedures of multinational players involved in securing the Gulf of Guinea guarantees the effectiveness of our naval forces in maintaining maritime security and safety.

"Maritime security is a pre-requisite for attracting investment, promoting trade and continuing economic development," said Alain. "These things guarantee an improved quality of life for our citizens."

Participating countries in this year's exercise were Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Cote d'Ivorie, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Netherlands, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Spain, Togo and the United States.

COUNTER=PIRACY IN HORN OF AFRICA

FROM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Counter-Piracy Contact Group Confronts Maritime Crime in the Horn of Africa
Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
April 5, 2012
The United States joined more than 60 nations and international organizations at the United Nations in New York on March 29, 2012, for a meeting of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia.
In a communiqué following the meeting, the Contact Group called for a renewed international commitment to countering piracy, both at sea and on land in Somalia, through robust and integrated military, law enforcement, and development activities. Among their recommendations, the Contact Group:
Recognized steps taken toward the development of counter-piracy messaging guidelines and continued efforts to develop effective strategic communications, including the use of social media;

Placed a priority on prosecutions and imprisonment as a deterrent to piracy;

Reiterated the importance of bringing suspected pirates to trial, including high-level suspects, and detaining those convicted, in Somalia as well as other nations in the region;

Called on the international community, including the global maritime industry, to make continued efforts to facilitate more effective prosecutions of pirates; and

Attributed the low success rate of attacks to many factors, including the application of best management practices by the shipping industry, the continuing naval presence, and the use of military vessel protection detachments and privately contracted armed security personnel.