A U.S. navy helicopter participating in Exercise Obangame Express 2018 will be landing at the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia on Saturday, March 24, a press statement from the US embassy in Monrovia says.
Exercise Obangame Express 2018, which is sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), is designed to improve regional cooperation, maritime security, and information-sharing practices to enhance the collective capabilities of Gulf of Guinea and West African nations to counter sea-based illicit activity.
The exercise is taking place March 21-29 in multiple areas at sea and ashore. At-sea operations will be conducted throughout the Gulf of Guinea.
Thirty-one nations are scheduled to participate in this year’s exercise including Angola, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Cameroon, Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome & Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, Togo, Turkey and the United States, as well as the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the US embassy’s press statement added.
According to the AFRICOM website, http://www.africom.mil, Obangame Express, conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF), is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea. It focuses on maritime interdiction operations, as well as visit, board, search, and seizure techniques.
According to AFRICOM, the OE17 seeks to assess and improve Gulf of Guinea law enforcement capacity, promote national and regional security, inform African maritime law enforcement partnership (AMLEP) planning and operations, and shape security force assistance (SFA) efforts.
OE takes place in the Gulf of Guinea with signatory nations of the Youande Code of Conduct and includes 20 African partners, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Congo, Cabo Verde, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bassau, Equatorial Guinea, Liberia, Morrocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, and Togo.