Kofi Ampeah Woode
Denmark’s Minister for Development and Global Climate Policy – Mr Dan Jorgensen, in the company of Ghana’s Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) – Rear Admiral (R/Adm) Issah Adam Yakubu, have paid a day’s working visit to the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Zone F, to check its activities and facilities.
As part of a 4-day official visit to Ghana, the Minister’s tour took place on Saturday November 18, 2023, at the Headquarters of the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) MMCC ECOWAS Zone F, Christianborg Castle, Osu, in Accra, Ghana, with a presentation on the activities and operations of the Centre, followed by a presentation by Ghana Navy.
Expressing Ghana’s appreciation for the Denmark-Ghana maritime security collaboration, which has yielded effective results, such as enhancing Ghana Navy’s Special Boat Squadron’s (SBS) capabilities, Admiral Yakubu described Denmark’s contribution as invaluable, in safeguarding the maritime domain of GoG.
He described maritime security as paramount for economic growth and stability, and stated that the contribution of Denmark will greatly enhance Ghana’s abilities to combat illegal activities, protect maritime borders, and create a secure environment for trade and commerce.
In a welcome remark, the Director of the MMCC – Captain (Capt) Noel Oboumou said in spite of the GoG having to deal with challenges of maritime crime and its associated complexities, the need to win the fight against maritime crime is more pertinent, as the enormous benefits that the maritime space has to offer to all concerned state actors, becomes appreciated.
He continued to say that one key measure in helping address the challenges of the GoG, has been the set-up of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, a product of which is the ECOWAS Zone F, with two of the Zone’s most significant partners and stakeholders, as far as the fight against maritime crimes is concerned, being Denmark and the Ghana Navy.
Capt Oboumou said Ghana, through its Navy, and Denmark, have contributed and supported the Centre significantly and diversely, in achieving its mandate of coordinating activities within its area of responsibility, and among its member states, to the extent that Zone F stands out now as a shining example for other jurisdictions.
Indications from the grapevine signals of the approval by the Danish Government, of an amount of USD 1.43 million to provide for a full Mission Bridge Simulator for use by the Ghana Navy, as a result of a visit to Denmark by R/Adm IA Yakubu, in the month of October, 2023. This would be duly announced by the Danish Defence Minister, shortly.
Other dignitaries present at the Minister’s tour included the Director, Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Mr Ole Thanke; the Danish Ambassador to Ghana – Ambassador Tom Norring; Deputy Danish Ambassador to Ghana – Mr Vibeke Sandholm Pedersen, Danish Defence Attaché at the Embassy in Accra – Wing Commander Lasse Sand; Maritime Counsellor of the Embassy – Joel Johnson, and Staff Officers from Ghana’s Naval Headquarters.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
