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Criminal activities perpetrated at sea are often directed at ships or maritime structures, but also include the transport of illicit substances or trafficking in persons by organized transnational criminal networks.
In its violent forms, it constitutes a constant threat to the safety of navigation and the physical integrity and life of sailors.
It is in this context that Ghana’s Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, is seeking the support of the Ghanaian Navy and its counterparts throughout the sub-region to help address these crimes drastically.
It has also urged the Ghana Navy to cooperate and share information with its counterparts to address crime and insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of exercise Obangame Express 2021 (OE21) in Accra on Saturday, the CDS said that the number of vessels operating in the Gulf of Guinea had increased in recent times, with a corresponding increase in maritime incidents.
Exercise OE21 was designed to enhance regional cooperation, maritime domain awareness, information sharing practices, and tactical interdiction expertise to enhance the collective capabilities of participating nations to counter illicit sea-based activity.
Vice Admiral Amoama said regulatory and law enforcement agencies were under pressure to mitigate those problems, which included illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, piracy and armed robbery, human and drug trafficking, as well as transportation. of illegal goods at sea.
He said such crimes cannot be tackled by a single nation and encouraged interoperability and cooperation among maritime stakeholders and the effective exchange of maritime information to curb the threat.
“In fact, these are complex transnational crimes, which cannot be tackled by a single nation alone,” he said, adding that: “For those of us in the subregion, therefore, our concern is not only to prevent threats in the Gulf of Guinea, but rather empowering our law enforcement agencies by equipping them with the capacity and capabilities necessary to effectively deal with threats. ”
Vice Admiral Amoama commended the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) for its continued assistance in enhancing maritime security in the subregion.
He said states along the Gulf of Guinea and their international partners remained committed to fighting crime and maritime insecurity, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rear Admiral Issah Yakubu, Chief of the Naval General Staff (CNS), said the exercise had enhanced the operational capabilities of stakeholders, such as standardization of skills and communications between the Navy, Air Force and partners.
However, he said the exercise had also exposed limitations in the country’s surveillance capacity and that the Navy would engage relevant stakeholders to address such deficiencies and improve operations.
Rear Admiral Yakubu commended the United States Naval Forces for their continued support of the Ghana Navy.
Stephanie Sullivan, the US ambassador to Ghana, said the exercise would enhance regional cooperation and information sharing among participating nations, to counter illicit sea-based maritime activities and strengthen security in the Gulf of Guinea.
He charged the Navy to continue to use the gathered experiences, networks and skills to fight maritime challenges to ensure peace, security and stability in the region.
The Ambassador congratulated the participants for ensuring the success of the exercise amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Also present at the ceremony was Rear Admiral Jeffrey S. Spivey, Director, Maritime Partnership Program, United States Naval Forces and Africa.
SO21, organized under the auspices of AFRICOM, is one of three regional exercises facilitated by the United States Naval Forces in Africa.
It was part of a comprehensive strategy of the U.S. Naval Forces Sixth Fleet and AFRICOM to provide collaborative opportunities for African forces and international partners to address maritime security concerns.
More than 200 participants from 36 countries, international organizations and regional groupings participated in the two-week exercise.
— GNA
