Participants during one of the sessions
The Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) has organised a training programme on maritime security and transnational crime.
The course aims to address the growing challenge of piracy and other forms of maritime crimes such as human trafficking along the Gulf of Guinea, as well as its impact on transnational organised crime.
The course brought together participants from the Ghana Navy, Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Service, the Ghana Police Service, Prisons Service and the Ghana Shippers Authority.
There were participants from Nigeria, Liberia, The Gambia and the Republic of Congo.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Director of Training at KAIPTC, Colonel Alfred Botwe, explained that transnational crimes thrive on shortfalls on the part of relevant institutions that have the duty to confront these problems.
He recalled a recent pirate attack on a fishing vessel, MENGXIN 1, on Ghanaian waters on March 27, 2025, during which incident the captain, chief engineer and other crew members were kidnapped.
He stressed the need for the Gulf of Guinea authorities and the international community to refocus their attention on the region by providing long-term and sustainable solutions that effectively addresses these crimes.
Speaking on the topic “Introduction to Gulf of Guinea and its Security Challenges,” KAIPTC Researcher Serwaa Allotey Pappoe explained that the Gulf of Guinea is one of the most strategic maritime routes in Africa connecting commerce between Europe and Africa as well as producing 17 oil states spanning West, Central and Southern Africa.
She added that insecurity at sea has a rippling effect on land.
Speaking on the topic “Small Arms, Light Weapons (SALW) Smuggling and Proliferation,” Mrs. Margaret Akakpo, a researcher at KAIPTC mentioned that SALW are weapons of choice during conflict.
By Florence Asamoah Adom