ADF STAFF
African maritime leaders joined their international counterparts in Sal Island, Cabo Verde, for the first African Maritime Forces Summit.
The three-day summit in March 2023 was co-hosted by the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, Adm. Stuart B. Munsch. It brought together heads of navies, coast guards and naval infantries from 38 nations to discuss strategic and operational approaches to maritime security.
“The security dynamics impacting African nations are shaping our present, and they will shape our future. Partnership can serve as the foundation to stability in Africa and growing prosperity for every African nation,” Munsch said. “This week we had the opportunity to strengthen our existing partnerships and also build new ones, ready to meet shared challenges together.”
Panel sessions included discussions on strategic and operational approaches to maritime security, maritime threat response through naval infantry, shared challenges within respective maritime services, and regional interoperability initiatives.
The summit also included a visit to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bulkeley to observe shipboard firefighting demonstrations, joint U.S. Coast Guard and Cabo Verdean boarding drills, and simulated bomb-disposal robotics conducted by U.S. Marines.
Cabo Verde’s Chief of Defense Rear Adm. António Duarte Monteiro’s closing remarks emphasized the importance of cooperation among regional and international partners.
“Threats to maritime security do not respect political boundaries, and there is very little that an individual state can do alone,” Monteiro said. “The need to cooperate with others is fundamental to the very concept of increased maritime security and sustainable development of the blue economy. Cooperation with other states in security, law enforcement and the protection of the environment should not be viewed as a derogation of sovereignty, but rather as a multiplication of the effectiveness of our sovereignty.”
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