Maritime Security: Inter-regional coordination centre goes operational

Delegates from the World’s seven most industrialised nations (G7), the United Nations and other international partners did observe the inauguration of the Inter-regional Coordination Centre for Maritime Safety and Security in the Gulf of Guinea that took place in Yaounde.

The coordination centre situated at the Yaounde Golf Neighbourhood is a three-storey building over an area of about 500 m2.

The office has been set up to oversee activities within the Gulf of Guinea and identify all criminal acts in the area.

Speaking during the inauguration, the Minister of Defence, Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o expressed Cameroon’s determination to contribute to the current plan of action on maritime safety elaborated by member countries.

A twelve-man team was put in place to manage the centre within a period of six months. The team will be headed by a Senegalese colonel.

The inter-regional coordination centre will receive useful information from the radars and cameras planted at the multinational coordination centres.

It is worth recalling that the creation of the centre was one recommendation made during the Maritime Safety Summit meeting that held in Yaounde in June 2013.

The summit was organised to identify ways of curbing the rising crime in the area. In 2013 for example, the Gulf of Guinea witnessed close to 130 pirate attacks at sea, an increase as against 56 in 2010.