The three-day symposium, which began in Accra on Tuesday, April 30, attracted scores of Governmental and military leaders from over forty countries.

It was on the theme, “Cooperation at Sea: Safeguarding African Maritime Security.”

The meeting would be characterised by a series of panels and focused discussions on maritime security challenges and opportunities.

It will also serve as a platform for developing joint approaches and models for integrated operations, such as countering and prosecuting illegal marine activities like piracy, and contraband trafficking, and assessing marine security interventions, among other things.
Madam Virginia Palmer, US Ambassador to Ghana, told media at a press conference that the event was aimed at strengthening strategic-level relationships to facilitate better regional cooperation in dealing with maritime threats.

“Our agenda over the next few days is to enhance our naval capabilities, to foster interoperability, and to build the crisis response capacities that African maritime forces need to ensure security and stability.

“We recognize that effective maritime security is about more than ships and equipment; it’s about the partnerships we forge,” she said.

Madam Palmer also highlighted other maritime corporations between the United States, Ghana and other regional allies aimed at increasing the capabilities of their security forces both on and offshore.

She said the cooperations covered technical training at the Ghana Armed Forces Engineering School, maritime maintenance training at the Naval Base in Sekondi and naval infrastructure projects at the Naval Training Command (NAVTRAC).

“It also includes equipment to build the capacity of the Ghana Navy, like the 87-foot coastal security ships bolstering maritime security capacity in the Gulf of Guinea.

“We also provided six million dollars in additional equipment to the special boat squadron and projects at NAVTRAC, part of the 28 million dollars in US security assistance to Ghana last year”, she said

Rear Admiral Issah Adam Yakubu, Ghana’s Chief of Naval Staff, emphasized the meeting’s relevance for allied states.

He said the platform would allow for the “sharing of knowledge, best practices, and creating an atmosphere that would give solutions to our complex and dynamic maritime security issues around the African continent.”

Rear Adm. Yakubu praised the United States for its ongoing collaborations with the Ghana Navy, including capacity building for naval personnel, equipment transfers, and various sea exercises.

Admiral Stuart Munsch, Commander, US Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) and Commander, Allied Joint Force Command (JFC), Naples, stated that the meeting would develop policies not only for security but also for the protection of commercial zones, resulting in economic growth.

“We are also looking at maritime domain awareness to understand what is going on at sea in the exclusive economic zones. As to how to intercept illegal activity and how to resolve it judicially so it comes to a halt,” he said.

The event takes place a week before the start of NAVAF’s premier West African maritime exercise, Obangame Express 2024.