Participants at the meeting
Multi-national Maritime Coordinating Centre (MMCC, zone F), has held a meeting with stakeholders in the maritime sector to assess the successes and challenges since the establishment of the ‘Yaounde Code of Conduct’.
The ‘Yaounde code of conduct’ was established in 2013 by ECOWAS and the Economic Community of Central African State with the aim of preventing and repressing piracy, armed robbery against ships, and illegal maritime activities in the West African sub-region.
MMCC zone F, a sub zone of the inter-regional Coordinating Centre (ICC) which is at the forefront of combating maritime threats within the Gulf of Guinea includes countries such as Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Liberia.
Addressing participants at the launch, a maritime experts, Mrs. Odette Gabson Kouao representing Commissioner for ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Abdel-Fatau Musah, said fruitful collaboration between the four maritime centres has led to a significant progress in the maritime sector, especially in the reduction in recorded incidents of armed robbery, and piracy in the countries within zone F.
According to her, an average of 20 incidents of maritime robbery incidents recorded between 2019 and 2022 has now dropped to about 12 this year.
That success, she said, was achieved as a result of proper coordination, education, training, effective information sharing, and joint maritime operations among others, in the Gulf of Guinea.
She further stated that ECOWAS has also developed an environmental policy based on the sustainable management of natural resources including forestry, maritime, coastal diversity, and ecosystems for the benefit of the regional community, while thanking the Government of Ghana for supporting its operations, and providing a remarkable edifice as its headquarters in Accra.
Director of the Multi-national Maritime Coordination Centre, Capt. Noel Oboumou, for his part said the growing incidents of maritime crime, particularly piracy in the Gulf of Guinea called for the establishment of the centre to curb the menace.
He commended the leadership of ECOWAS, ECCAS for the Gulf of Guinea Foundation, and for laying the foundation for a common regional strategy to prevent and prosecute illegal activities that also inspired the Yaounde architecture.
Some notable individuals who were honoured and presented with plaques include a former Director-General of the Ghana Maritime Authority, Kwame Owusu, past and current chief of Naval staff, Director of MMCC, among others.
The anniversary which was on the theme, ‘Impact of Yaounde Code of Conduct on ECOWAS Maritime Domain: 10 years after its adoption’, also brought together officers of the Armed Forces and Naval officers from West African sub-region.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah