US Naval Ship Arrives Lagos

The U.S. African Command (AFRICOM) says sailors from the guided-missile frigate USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49) and Naval Forces Africa staff members have arrived in Lagos for training with the Nigeria Navy.
A statement by AFRICOM said the crew, including Africa Partnership Station West international staff members arrived in Lagos last week.
It said the USS Robert G. Bradley was on its third Africa Partnership Station “Hub.”

The U.S. African Command (AFRICOM) says sailors from the guided-missile frigate USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49) and Naval Forces Africa staff members have arrived in Lagos for training with the Nigeria Navy.
A statement by AFRICOM said the crew, including Africa Partnership Station West international staff members arrived in Lagos last week.
It said the USS Robert G. Bradley was on its third Africa Partnership Station “Hub.”
The APS initiative, facilitated by the U.S. naval forces is aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and collaborative activities to improve maritime safety and security in Africa.
“Sailors aboard Bradley will conduct maritime training, participate in military-to-military sporting events, and host community relation projects during their port visit,” the statement said.
It added that the APS training with the Nigeria Navy would cover board, search and seizure team operations; search and rescue planning, damage control and signals familiarisation.

Maersk Constellation arrives at Mombasa
The general cargo ship MAERSK CONSTELLATION has arrived in Mombasa complete with the four containers that were the subject of investigation and enquiry and an extended delay for the ship in Lobito, Angola.
Angolan authorities detained the ship for several weeks while they investigated the origin and purpose of the containers’ contents. The container documents showed the containers, which came from a South African non-governmental organisation providing relief work in Angola, as carrying soya, but in reality they contained guns and ammunition. Kenya later admitted the weapons were for them and there have also been reports that the origin of the weapons and ammunition was the United States.
Just why, then, the cargo had to be moved in such a clandestine fashion, needs to be answered. Maersk Constellation is a US-flagged ship, a factor not lost on observers, although the operators said they were not aware that the four boxes contained weapons. The documents reflected the cargo as being soya.