MARITIME CRIMES AND INCIDENT REPORTING MECHANISMS UNDER THE YAOUNDE PROCESS: TOWARDS AN EFFECTIVE REPORTING SYSTEMS FOR THE GULF OF GUINEA
[ Frank O. Okyere & Afua A. Lamptey ]
The Gulf of Guinea (GoG) region presents a maritime seascape with a unique potential for
maritime commerce and development. Stretching from Senegal in West Africa to Angola in
Central Africa, the waters of the GoG is estimated to have enormous oil deposits, fisheries,
and aquaculture. For instance it is estimated that excluding the Persian Gulf, one in every
four barrels of oil sold comes from the Gulf of Guinea.Globally some of the most sought
after fish species such as tuna, shrimp, sardinella, bonga, grouper, sole and octopus can
be located in the region. Further, the large number of natural harbours, inexistence of
chokepoints and good weather conditions makes it an ideal shipping route.The region’s
rich maritime resources has attracted both state and non-state actors, some of whom
exploit the inadequate control of the maritime domain to engage in illicit activity. Between
2016 and 2018, the littoral states in the Gulf of Guinea region…
AUTHORS BIO
Frank O. Okyere is the Head of the Peace Support Operations Programme at the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research (FAAR), Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC).
Afua A. Lamptey is the Deputy Head of Programme on the Conflict Management Programme at the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research (FAAR), Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC).
TOWARDS A “MODEL STATE ACTION AT SEA” FOR GULF OF GUINEA STATES
[John M. Pokoo, Shiela N. Tetteh & Kwesi Aning]
One of the models that guide the interventions of the state at sea along the Gulf of Guinea is often referred to as “state action at sea” (in French: action d’états de la mer). As the example from Cote d’Ivoire is illustrated below, this model takes the form of maritime domain awareness among relevant ministries and public agencies convened regularly at the highest possible level of decision making in a particular state. It consciously preserves the functional autonomy of the institutional actors involved. It does so by creating a platform that enables relevant ministries and agencies to brief the incumbent President or his/her representative (often the Prime Minister) so that other Ministries and relevant public agencies present also get to know about what is happening in the relevant agencies and Ministries…
AUTHORS BIO
John Mark Pokoo is Head, Conflict Management Programme in the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana and a PhD Candidate, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Shiela Naade Tetteh is a Research Assistant at the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre. Shiela holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Chinese from the University of Ghana and a Master of Arts Degree in Conflict, Peace and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.
Prof. Kwesi Aning is the Director of the Faculty of Academic Affairs and Research, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.
MAPPING MARITIME ACTORS UNDER THE YAOUNDE PROTOCOL: ESTABLISHING MANDATES, INTERRELATIONSHIPS, GAPS AND PROSPECTS.
The Gulf of Guinea represents one of the most important maritime spaces in the world, however, its susceptibility to a multiplicity of threats which have become particularly pronounced since the first decade of the 21 Century, remains a constant security concern to both regional and external actors. The strategic significance of the region is evidenced by its rich deposits of hydrocarbons, mineral resources and rich variety of marine and aquatic resources. Also, the region is estimated to have 14,495 billion barrels of crude oil and gas reserves, which constitute a critical resource for accelerated economic grow and development. The Gulf of Guinea’s vast resource potentials however, co-exist with a myriad of maritime threats that rank prominently among the challenges confronting states and societies, as well as international shipping and commerce. Included among these are maritime piracy, armed robbery at sea, kidnapping for ransom, illegal oil bunkering and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing…
AUTHORS BIO
Dr. Kwaku Danso is a Research Fellow and Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Academic Affairs
and Research of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC).
Kwaku holds a Ph.D. in International Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University, and an MSc in African Studies from the University of Edinburgh. His research interests revolve around maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, transitional and relational justice, DDR in conventional and non-permissive contexts, election-related violence, and security knowledge generation in postcolonial locales. Kwaku teaches and facilitates a number of courses at the KAIPTC, including International Relations, Research Methods, maritime security, and conflict prevention. Kwaku is a current Visiting Lecturer at Rhodes University. He previously served as an Instructor of Record at the Kennesaw State University. He has published a number of scholarly papers on peacekeeping in Africa , indigenous approaches to conflict transformation, elections in Ghana, and Ghana’s foreign and defence policies.
Serwaa Allotey-Pappoe is a Researcher with the Conflict Management Programme at the
Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC). Her research interests generally revolve around conflict, peace and security with specific focus on gender, mediation, negotiations and peace processes in West Africa. Her most recent projects include research and capacity development on maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and violent extremism in West Africa and the Sahel. Serwaa holds a B.A. degree in Psychology with French from the University of Ghana and a Master of Arts degree (M.A.) in Gender, Peace and Security from the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, with a specialization on women in UN peace support operations.