Funding Gaps and Limited Political Will Hinder Maritime Security Efforts in Gulf of Guinea - Lt Col Sand

Accra, Ghana - 26 Feb, 2025 - The Gulf of Guinea remains a hotspot for piracy and other maritime crimes despite regional efforts to address the challenges, according to Lieutenant Colonel Lasse Sand, Denmark's Defense Attaché to Ghana.

In an exclusive interview with Lead News' Florence Kyei, Lt Col Sand, highlighted the challenges faced by the Yaoundé Architecture, a regional framework for maritime security that has been in place for 12 years.

The Yaoundé Architecture brings together countries in the Gulf of Guinea to coordinate actions and develop legislation to combat piracy and armed robbery at sea. However, Lieutenant Sand emphasized that funding gaps and limited political will are significant challenges to its success. "There needs to be some kind of will within the region to make this work," he stressed.

The Gulf of Guinea is a critical maritime trade route, with significant oil and gas reserves. However, it has struggled with maritime insecurity, including piracy, armed robbery, and illegal fishing. The region's vulnerability has fueled a consensus around securing the region against maritime threats and related risks.

1. The piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea have resulted in significant economic losses for the region. For example, a study by the International Maritime Bureau found that piracy in the region costs the global economy approximately $2 billion annually.
2. Humanitarian Crisis: The insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea has also led to a humanitarian crisis, with many fishermen and sailors being kidnapped and held for ransom. In 2022, at least 30 fishermen were kidnapped by pirates in the region.
3. Environmental Damage: The illegal fishing and oil theft in the region have also resulted in significant environmental damage. For example, a recent report by the Environmental Justice Foundation found that illegal fishing in the Gulf of Guinea has led to the depletion of fish stocks and damage to marine ecosystems."

Regional and international efforts have been underway to address these challenges. The European Union, for example, has invested heavily in supporting regional maritime security initiatives, including the Yaoundé Architecture. However, despite these efforts, maritime security challenges persist in the Gulf of Guinea.

''In the region, the Yaounde architecture was created 12 years ago to address maritime security where all the countries Angola, all the way up to Cape Verde are cooperating within this architecture to address maritime security but one of the big challenges is that not many of those countries have been able to name all these maritime symptoms,'' Lt Col Sand stated.

''There are huge gaps. It's underfunded. It must be prioritised,  however it may be a political challenge. There needs to be some kind of will within the region to make this work.'' he added.

Lieutenant Sand's comments highlight the need for sustained regional commitment and cooperation to address these challenges. The Gulf of Guinea's maritime security challenges are complex and multifaceted, requiring a comprehensive and coordinated approach to resolve.

Source: Florence Kyei/Lead News Online