Kofi Ampeah Woode
Ghana Navy (GN), the United States (US) Naval Forces, Africa, and the US Marine Corps Forces, Africa, have earned high mention for successfully co-hosting the 3-day 1st Combined African Maritime Forces Summit (AMFS) and Naval Infantry Leaders Symposium-Africa (NILS-A) in Ghana, which assembled a large participation of maritime stakeholders from 53 nations across the globe.
The maiden joint symposium, which commenced on Tuesday 30 April, had its closing ceremony on Thursday 2 May 2024, in Accra, with Ghana’s Minister for Defence, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Bimbilla – Mr Dominic Aduna Bingab Nitiwul, who was the Guest of Honour, extolling GN’s Commander – Rear Admiral (R/Adm) Issah Adam Yakubu; Commander, US Naval Forces, Africa – Adm Stuart Munsch; and Major General (Maj Gen) Robert Sofge, for exceptional cooperation in organizing the events.
In his address to participants, Ghana’s Defence Minister said the combined symposium brought together senior Government Officials, Naval Chiefs and Senior Naval Infantry Leaders, Heads of Law Enforcement Agencies, the academia and stakeholders on maritime nations across the globe, to discuss solutions to regional and sub-regional maritime security threats.
He stated that all the regional and sub-regional initiatives by the thirty-eight (38) coastal states of Africa, to address the complex maritime security challenges that confront the continent, were deliberated upon, thereby allowing participants to harness strengths and opportunities, in order to deal with weaknesses, by exploiting their collective efforts.
He continued to say that the diverse nature of panelists, and the topics discussed, as well as the contributions from the participants, reflected the understanding of the security challenges, and the need to find collective and common solutions, stressing “for we live together or we die together, but we can together live, if we work together”.
Mr Nitiwul concluded that the biggest challenge after the conference, is to transform into actionable policies the lessons and knowledge derived from the deliberations, positing that there is no magic wand to given crises or challenges, and that nations must adopt multidimensional and collective approaches that will give actors options in addressing the problems.
General Eric Michael Smith – Commandant, US Marine Corps, who also addressed the closing session via a video link, said the symposium offered the opportunity to discuss openly, engage honestly, and plan effectively, with an opportunity to celebrate successes, identify new areas to collaborate and build lasting relationships.
US Marine values the partnership and guidance with its African partners, and it hopes to work closely together, as the US, its partners and African countries, seek to maintain and grow the breadth of maritime security measures, relating to the African continent, Gen EM Smith said.
He further asserted that Africa is at the forefront at the development of Maritime Security, and with 38 of 54 African states being coastal nations, and the critical importance of Africa’s marine networks, maritime security should be in the fore of all else, when considering security and the overall stability of the continent.
Gen Smith furthered that the seas around Africa are critical avenues for trade, and a source of sustenance for millions, a vibrant conduit for many lives, and that their continued security is vital for the international system of trade, and that the discussions held will inform the US Military’s decisions going forward.
“We need to provide space for unique and creative ideas for thinking outside the box, and for developing solutions that we are yet to think of. Maritime crimes are transnational and are transgressions that require a truly cooperative approach”, he stated, concluding that the conversations begun should be sustained, and participants learn to turn words into action.
In his overview speech as co-host, R/Adm IA Yakubu said the joint AMFS/NILS-A conference has been an avenue for networking, knowledge sharing, regional cooperation, and capacity building, and that having a safe and secure maritime domain is the responsibility of all, since maritime insecurity anywhere has a rippling effect on all nations, “No country is too small to contribute, and none is so big to do it all alone”.
“When the Red Sea crises started, many from this part of the world felt far removed from the effects , but a sudden realization of the increased maritime traffic, due to the re-routing of vessels, and its attendant effects on non-littoral states, presented both a threat and an opportunity”, Admiral Yakubu said.
Since some countries have more resources than others, the symposium explored strategies for cooperation and avenues for combine operations, armed with the desire to see greater partnerships to find workable ideal ways, individually and collectively, although all have different doctrines and national interests, howbeit, the inherent need to act as one to protect the global common, overarching in all endeavours.
One other key takeaway was the need to constantly assess and reevaluate the numerous security interventions, in a bid to redefine partnerships, appreciate the dynamic and volatile nature of maritime threats, and commit to auditing the numerous interventions, to know the boundaries, gaps and opportunities for growth, the Naval Chief stated: “there is no one-size fits all in this”.
He finally praised Ghanaian maritime stakeholders who participated in the historic symposium, and some local think tanks who have taken the opportunity to understand the impact of the Red Sea crises on the Gulf of Guinea, saying that, since insecurity at sea is only a symptom of insecurity ashore, without such stakeholders, maritime security efforts would not achieve the enduring effects being sought.
The first iteration of NILS-A was virtually held in 2021, and was followed by an in-person second in 2022 in Senegal, whiles the first AMFS was held in 2023 in Cape Verde.
Participating nations of the combined AMFS NILS-A conference include Algeria, Angola, Australia, Benin, Brazil, Cameroun, Canada, Cape Verde, Columbia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, India, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Kenya.
Others are Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Togo, Tunisia, United Kingdom, United States of America, and Tanzania, with many other multinational institutions.
Dignitaries present included the Chief of the Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) – Lieutenant General Thomas Oppong-Peprah; Ghana’s Inspector General of Police – Dr George Akuffo-Dampare, Service Chiefs of GAF, Chiefs of Navies from across the world, and many Military Senior Officers.
By Kofi Ampeah-Woode
