Msr

A mixed bag of maritime matters this week. In the Gulf of Guinea, exercise Obangame Express 2018 has begun, with navies from 26 countries taking part in drills that should also suppress piracy in the region with any luck. Just don't count on it, given the spate of recent attacks and crew kidnappings.  
In Cameroon, the IMO has been holding a seminar on the under-discussed issue of stowaways and the costs to the shipping industry, which are staggering. Ghana, meanwhile, has expressed concern over recent pirate attacks in the region. 
In the Indian Ocean region, bad news for India as the Seychelles puts a halt to India's plans for a military base on Assumption Island. 
In Europe, things are heating up on the Mediterranean between Turkey and Cyprus over potential gas fields and territorial borders. As energy security becomes more crucial, we'll continue to see these spats. 
Off Libya, where fuel smuggling was largely replaced as a criminal enterprise by people smuggling, the Liyban's have arrested a tanker allegedly involved in smuggling activities.