In the latest case of hijacking and kidnapping in the area, gunmen seized seven Chinese fishermen off the coast of Cameroon last week, releasing them only this week after negotiations.
Here is a list of some of the attacks that have taken place in the Gulf, which stretches from Angola to the south, around Africa's central and western coast, to the Guineas in the west.
• Nov. 24, 2009 - Pirates attacked a Monrovia-flagged tanker carrying Nigerian crude oil, killing an officer.
• March 13, 2010 - A Chinese fishing vessel with seven fishermen aboard hijacked off the Bakassi Peninsula. The Africa Marine Commando demand ransom and the sailors are released.
• Oct. 10, 2009 - Cameroon military forces repel attack on fishing vessel Rose Three, killing four gunmen and capturing three. Former rebel leader says Bakassi Freedom Fighters were responsible.
• March 14, 2009 - Gunmen attacked a supply vessel kidnapping four crew.
• Oct. 31, 2008 - Gunmen saying they objected to the return of the Bakassi peninsula to Cameroon seized 10 crew, most of them French, working on an oil supply vessel.
• Oct. 19, 2008 - Cameroonian security forces fought off an attack by pirates.
• Sept. 28, 2008 - Seaborne gunmen attacked Limbe, a coastal town near the port city of Douala, killing one person and robbing four banks.
• June 11, 2008 - Pirates ambushed and abducted a Cameroonian official and five soldiers.
Jan. 24, 2009 - About 30 pirates seized a Greek fishing vessel off Kribi, killing a Greek sailor.
• Sept, 2008 - Gunmen attacked the Cameroonian port town of Limbe, shooting their way into banks, killing one person as they fought off the security forces and made off with large amounts of money.
• Jan. 4, 2009 - Gunmen hijacked a vessel belonging to French oil services group Bourbon off Nigeria's Niger Delta as it traveled toward a Royal Dutch Shell offshore oilfield with four expatriates. This attack followed a June 2008 strike against Shell's $3.6 billion offshore Bonga oilfield that forced the plant - capacity of 220,000 barrels per day - to shut down.
• Feb. 17, 2009 - Seaborne gunmen attacked oil-producing Equatorial Guinea's island capital, shooting their way into the presidential palace before they were repelled by security forces, backed by helicopter gunships. The government blamed militants from Nigeria's Niger Delta for the raid.
• December 2007 - Armed raiders in speedboats stormed two banks in Bata, grabbing cash and shooting passers-by.
