Accra:Ghana has emphasized the need for enhanced intelligence-sharing, coordinated maritime operations, and cross-regional collaboration among African nations to address piracy, trafficking, and other transnational crimes that jeopardize maritime security.
According to Ghana News Agency, this initiative coincides with Ghana hosting the inaugural African Maritime Security Forum in Accra. The event gathers naval leaders, security experts, and policymakers to deliberate on emerging maritime threats and bolster cooperation across the continent.
The two-day forum, taking place from October 14 to 15 at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, is organized by the KAIPTC, the Royal Danish Defence College, and the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
This forum builds on annual maritime security conferences held by these institutions since 2022, which primarily targeted the Gulf of Guinea. Its expansion to a continent-wide platform underscores the escalating concerns that geopolitical tensions and conflicts outside Africa are impacting international shipping routes, altering maritime traffic, and increasing the burden on coastal states' security capabilities.
While piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea have significantly decreased due to regional cooperation and ongoing patrols, the fundamental causes of maritime insecurity continue to exist.