Maritime Law Consultant and Legal Practitioner, Dr Emmanuel Kofi Mbiah, has stressed the need for collaborative efforts among ECOWAS regional partners to combat piracy in West Africa.
Speaking at the launch of a six-week training course at the Regional Maritime University (RMU), Dr Mbiah emphasized the importance of a collective approach in reducing piracy in the region.
The training program, sponsored by the European Union under the Support to the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy (SWAIMS) project, is aimed at enhancing the skills of sea actors, naval officers, and law enforcement officials across West Africa. This marks the fourth and final edition of the program that began in 2016.
Dr Mbiah acknowledged that while there has been a decrease in piracy attacks, the region still faces threats from pirates. He attributed this to the economic challenges in these countries, which make them vulnerable to criminal activities. Therefore, he called for vigilance, open collaboration, and knowledge sharing among partners to effectively address the issue.
Dr Baboucarr Njie, representing the Acting Vice Chancellor of RMU, highlighted the severity of maritime insecurities in the region, citing statistics from the ECOWAS Multi-National Maritime Cooperation Centre (EMMCC) Zone F 2020 annual report. According to the report, the Gulf of Guinea recorded 136 crew members abducted in 27 kidnapping incidents, making it the most dangerous waters for seafarers globally.
Engineer Augustus Addy-Lamptey, the SWAIMS Project Coordinator, reiterated the importance of continuous maritime domain awareness and training to combat maritime crimes. He noted that the SWAIMS project focuses on governance, law enforcement, prosecution, and adjudication of maritime crimes, as well as enhancing operational capacities and responses.
This year’s training edition will feature an interaction session with a survivor of a maritime kidnapping incident.
