Gulf of Guinea: France and Gabon boost G7++ maritime security cooperation 

France and Gabon co-chaired the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea meeting in Paris on April 15, focusing on piracy and trafficking. Created in 2013 to support the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, the framework aims to strengthen regional coordination and tools such as YARIS. The International Maritime Organization noted the region accounted for most global kidnappings at sea in 2021, highlighting ongoing security challenges.