PARIS — Africa will come together to battle piracy and illegal fishing for the first time at an African Union maritime security summit that starts in Togo on October 15.Togo’s foreign minister Robert Dussey said the continent urgently needed to fight "extremely high stakes" piracy and illegal fishing in its waters by joining forces over policy and working to raise necessary funds."These are very high stakes for Africa. At least 92% of imported goods arrive on the continent across the seas and oceans. Of the 54 countries in the African Union, 33 have a coastline," said Dussey."During the summit, several issues will be tackled and piracy comes first," he said."A few years ago, it was mostly shipping in the Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, that fell victim to pirates. Now it’s in the Gulf of Guinea. Between 2005 and the present, we have suffered more than 205 attacks. Pirates give priority to raids on oil tankers but they also target merchant shipping."However, the Lome summit will not only ...
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