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| - Denmark will dispatch a naval frigate with dozens of marines onboard to the Gulf of Guinea to deter pirate attacks on commercial vessels in the region, the ministry of defence said on Tuesday. Denmark, a major shipping nation, has been pushing for a stronger international naval presence in the Gulf of Guinea following a surge in pirate attacks there. "The frigate will be in the area between November 2021 and March 2022, a period of the year when the risk of attacks is the highest," Defence Minister Trine Bramsen told reporters. The Gulf of Guinea has periods of calmer seas when it is easier for pirates to race out from hidden bases on the Nigeria coast to raid commercial vessels offshore and kidnap crew. The area is a major shipping route stretching from Senegal to Angola, and last year armed kidnappings of seafarers reached record levels, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). Bramsen said the frigate was a "first step and we hope other nations follow". Several EU nations often have naval vessels in the area, but pirate gangs, mostly Nigerians, are increasingly attacking farther out to sea where they know vessels are more vulnerable. The Absalon-class Danish frigate, equipped with a helicopter and around 175 marines onboard, will operate in international waters where it will be able to collaborate with Danish ships in the region and provide assistance to merchant vessels. Around 40 Danish merchant ships cross the Gulf of Guinea daily and carry goods worth around 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) per year. cbw/map/pma/spm
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