French helicopter carrier Mistral is on a four-month mission in the Gulf of Guinea to combat piracy and trafficking. It also participated in a joint naval exercise with Nigeria in October, which includes exercises such as inspecting a suspicious ship and simulating an operation to release hostages kidnapped at sea by pirates and detained on land. "The core of our mission here is maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea where France has interests but also strong partners, including Nigeria," said Mistral commander Captain Olivier Roussille. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES ARRANGED IN SEQUENCES