2015

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Three African leaders have signed an initial deal to end a long-running dispute over the sharing of Nile waters and the building of Africa’s biggest hydroelectric dam in Ethiopia. The leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Sierra Leone began a campaign in December 2014 to protect almost half the population from malaria, reducing the burden on clinics from people who wrongly fear they have Ebola. The early symptoms of the diseases —…

A Booming West African Economy Faces Seaborne Threats The Gulf of Guinea finds itself at a critical moment in its history. The promise of economic growth and the danger of maritime crime are pushing the region in opposite directions. And…

Gulf of Guinea Nations Gather in Ghana to Forge Partnerships Against Maritime Crime An oil tanker carrying nine crew members sailed through the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Nigeria in January 2015. Soon, the vessel fell victim to a…

The Discovery of Oil Brings With It A Need to Ensure Maritime Security MUTARU MUMUNI MUQTHAR Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar is executive director of the West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism, an independent civil society organization focused…

When criminals are stopped in the waters of one country, they shift their activities to another The pirates of the Gulf of Guinea can be an unimpressive-looking group. Although they are hard and muscular, captured pirates often dress like…

A young boy in the mainland city of Mbini, Equatorial Guinea, bounces a football off his head, no doubt imitating his favorite footballers. In many ways, he’s no different than millions of other boys and girls on the continent with an…

Gulf of Guinea Nations Will Have to Navigate Activities on Land and Sea to Combat Oil Theft When an automobile runs low on petrol, Benin offers two options. The driver can tool into the nearest service station and fill up at regular…

Illegal Fishing Is Damaging Livelihoods and Economies All Along the Gulf of Guinea The women of Jamestown fishing village in Accra, Ghana, pour large baskets of small sardines onto the concrete floors at the center of the community to dry…

Legal experts call for closing loopholes to prosecute pirates In an interview on board a Ukrainian freight vessel, Somali pirates bragged that they had outsmarted the system. They said they could hijack a commercial ship, knowing that the…