Some participants in an interactive session during Ex OBANGAME at the Naval Headquarter
The Ghana Armed Forces has indicated that some 31 countries are partaking in the 2023 OBANGAME Express Exercise.
OBANGAME EXPRESS, an annual combined Central and West African multinational maritime exercise in collaboration with the United States Naval Forces, Africa (NAVAF) in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) officially commenced on 23 January 2023 in Lagos, Nigeria, and will end with a Closing Ceremony on Wednesday 3 February 2023 in Accra, Ghana.
The 31 countries participating in the exercise include Angola, Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cape Verde, Cameroun, Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gambia, Ghana, Germany, Guinea (Conakry), Liberia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Spain, Togo, and the United States of America.
Also, participating in the exercise include the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).
Under the auspices of the United States Naval Forces, Africa (NAVAF), OBANGAME EXPRESS 2023 is designed to build the capacity of the navies in the GoG region to maintain a safe and secured maritime environment for socio-economic development involving stakeholders in Ghana’s maritime partners and cooperation at sea.
‘The exercise also focuses on the practical implementation of some laid down inter-agency procedures for managing maritime security threats and incidents and focuses mainly on information sharing between maritime stakeholders” the statement read.
With over 200 participants and regional groupings participating in the Exercise, OBANGAME EXPRESS 2023 is being conducted in multiple areas at sea and ashore.
All exercise scenarios are coordinated in the Exercise Control Group (ECG) center in Lagos, Nigeria.
Numerous Maritime Operation Centres are also participating ashore from across the Gulf of Guinea and West Africa with several international organizations.
“A Command Post Exercise was held from the 23 – the 27 January at the Naval Headquarters, Naval Training Command, Western and Eastern Naval Commands, and Ghana’s Territorial Waters. The Field Training exercise commenced on 28 January and is still ongoing.
Some of the exercise scenarios include Anti-Piracy, Armed Smuggling, Oil Spillage Management, Anti-Narcotics, Anti-Human Trafficking, illegal Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing” the statement indicated.
By Prince Fiifi Yorke