ADF

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 like a ship beset by a storm, only the hands of skilled sailors can help the region navigate the rough waters. First, the good news: West Africa’s economies are booming, and the Gulf is an important part of that growth. It’s a major route for shipping oil all over the world. Container shipping traffic is up. The Gulf’s mild, predictable…

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 common regional threat. Near Warri, Nigeria, eight heavily armed pirates boarded the ship, bound for a port in Togo, and took command. From there, the MT Mariam continued its course up the West African coast. Much of this journey is shrouded in mystery. At some point, pirates must have sidled the Mariam up next to another vessel operated by…

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 on counterterrorism research. He has a master’s degree in international terrorism, global crime and international security from Coventry University, United Kingdom, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ashesi University, Ghana. As piracy off the Horn of Africa has decreased, the focus has shifted to the Gulf of Guinea, a coast stretching 2,500 kilometers from Cape Lopez in Gabon north to Cape Three Points in…

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 beggars — shoeless and wearing cast-off clothes that seem intended for smaller men. They appear to be the sort of thieves who would steal cellphones and money but little more. Appearances can be deceiving. In January 2014, pirates stole a tugboat to use as a mother ship and began a days-long journey to steal the Kerala, a Greek-owned, Liberian-registered oil tanker,…

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 affinity for the sport. But this young fan was having his fun on January 30, 2015, in the middle of the Africa Cup of Nations tournament. And this year, the biennial event took place in his home country, from January 17 to February 8. The tournament came to the small Gulf of Guinea nation of 720,000 people when Morocco, the…

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 prices, or he can stop at one of many roadside tables featuring an array of bottles, jugs and cans. The various bottles may once have held water, rum or vodka. Even empty Fanta soda bottles find new life in this enterprise. Now they all contain the same liquid: an amber elixir called “kpayo.” Kpayo, a term applied to many…

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 under the West African sun. Children play games, drawn with colored chalk, on the hard surface nearby. It’s a Saturday, and a steady breeze comes in off the Gulf of Guinea, rippling the surface of the water as the area bakes in the March heat. On Tuesdays, however, the men of Jamestown take over the common area, turning the multipurpose…

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 ransom payments could be worth millions and if they were caught, it would pose no problem. In their words, they would just get a “free ride back to the beach” from one of the dozens of international naval ships patrolling the area. “They can’t stop us — we know international law,” Jama Ali, a pirate, told The New York Times in 2008.…

A Nigerian Admiral outlines the key steps needed to stop piracy REAR ADM. ADENIYI ADEJIMI OSINOWO Rear Adm. Adeniyi Adejimi Osinowo has served in the Nigerian Navy for more than 30 years. During that time he has held the positions of chief of training and operations, and director of transformation for the Navy. He was also on the directing staff of the National Defence College in Abuja. In 2011, he received the Meritorious Service Medal from the United States for his seven months spent as deputy commander of Africa Partnership Station. He also helped develop the Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy 2050,…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE A film made in Uganda for about $200 has become an Internet sensation, with its trailer viewed more than 2 million times. Who Killed Captain Alex was written, directed and produced by Isaac Nabwana in 2010. Nabwana has produced almost 50 films. In April 2015, he filmed Operation Kakongoliro (“Ugandan Expendables”), an action film. It was filmed in a scrap yard in Wakaliga, a neighborhood in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, which now is known as“Wakaliwood.” “It is going to be as big as Nollywood, Bollywood or even Hollywood — there’s no reason why not,” Nabwana boasted of Uganda’s informal…