By: Mohamed Sahrmohamedsahrpro@gmail.com
In an effort of strengthening sustainable and cohesive institutional arrangements for maritime security and decision making in the Gulf of Guinea, Kofi Anna International Peacekeeping Training Centre has held the second phase of ‘’Pirates of the Niger Delta’’ Danish Government funded-project in collaboration with United Nations on Drugs and Crime Study on Monday 27th November 2023 in Ghana, Accra.
His Excellency Tom Norring, Danish Ambassador to Ghana said Danish-funded study “Pirates of the Niger Delta II between the brown and blue waters in 2021 probed into the organizational structures of pirates groups. He stated that the study further investigates the operational methods employed by the groups, as well as examined the various categories of pirates within the local context.
H.E Norring noted that the findings of the study showed that within the piracy networks, several actors undertook diverse roles such as sponsorship, recruitment and mentoring of new pirates, negotiation of ransoms, and provision of support services in pirate camps among others.
Ambassador Norring emphasized that the maiden study identified three distinct categories of pirate and maritime criminal groups operating within the Niger Delta region and the broader Gulf of Guinea area. ‘’These groups included riverine criminal, coastal and low-reach pirates, and deep-offshore pirates,’’ Danish Ambassador to Ghana said.
He revealed that the two phase of the updated study title ‘’Pirates of the Niger Delta Two (2)’’ serves as a comprehensive analysis of the recent decline in deep offshore kidnap-for-ransom incidents in the region. Ambassador Norring furthered that the study involves a thorough examination of piracy incident data from diverse sources, including the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), Stable Seas, Maritime Information Cooperation and Awareness Center (MICA), and CEMLAWS.
Thomas Kofi Alansi, Director General of Ghana Maritime Authority and Chairman, Ghana National Maritime Security Committee said more than 90% of world trade is carried by sea; adding that Pirates of the Niger Delta II inventiveness focuses on the persistent challenges of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, with a vocal point on Niger Delta. ‘’It is a testament of our collective commitment to addressing the evolving challenges of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, an issue that demands our sustained attention and collaborative efforts,’’ Kofi Alansi affirms.
He expressed that the Niger Delta’s waters has become the second deadliest worldwide right after Somalian waters tracing back in 2008. Director General of Ghana Maritime Authority mentioned that there were organized crimes and militant movements courtesy of well-equipped pirates; emphazing that the Gulf of Guinea especially in the Niger Delta has been the hotspot for maritime insecurity incidents.
Kofi Alansi said the Yaounde Architecture has played a significant role in coordinating and enhancing the effectiveness of maritime security efforts, of which Ghana remains an active participant in that framework, underlining Ghana’s commitment to regional cooperation in addressing the complex challenges posed by maritime crimes.
He disclosed that in 2020, there were 123 armed robbery incidents reported, and in 2021, there were 45 incidents that which saw a noteworthy decline. ‘’The International Maritime Bureau reports that in the first quarter of 2023, incidents of piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea have continued to decrease, with only five reported cases compared to eight in the same period of 2022 and 16 in 2021,’’ Kofi Alansi said.
Director General of Ghana Maritime Authority reaffirmed that the maritime incidents are no longer restricted to territorial waters but increasingly occurring further offshore often outside of the Exclusive Economic Zones; noting that the threats has spread outward from the shore with pirates operating over a vast region extending hundreds of miles from the coast, showing a worrying trend of increasing operational capability of pirates.
Jane Kimani Kinyanzui, Associate Programme Office of UNODC said the event marks another milestone in UNODC’s continuing engagement under the Denmark Maritime Security Programme to strengthen the development of sustainable and institutional arrangements for maritime security including enhancing strategic basis for decision-making and the practical interaction between relevant actors, including the national maritime authorities, navies, and other law enforcement and justice actors. She highlighted the continued efforts to build a bridge between all the key stakeholders and partners especially KAIPTC and the Danish Government to further support efforts that aimed at creating synergy, increased cooperation and a common picture of maritime security in the region.
