Gulf of Guinea

ADF STAFF The TikTok video spread like an out-of-control fire in October. Dramatic music swelled in the background while the video frantically jumped from clips of security forces in action to police vehicles mobilizing with flashing…

ADF STAFF It’s supposed to be simple. A doctor prescribes medicine — an antibiotic for an infection or perhaps an antimalarial — and a trusted pharmacist dispenses the drug to the patient. The patient trusts the product and takes it as…

ADF STAFF Once among the world’s hotspots for piracy and trafficking, the Gulf of Guinea still presents a security challenge for the Economic Community of West African States. The West African regional bloc, also known as ECOWAS, includes…

ADF STAFF Policing maritime crime in Africa’s coastal waters requires more than simply intercepting suspect ships or arresting possible drug traffickers. It also requires careful attention to collecting evidence that can be used later to…

ADF STAFF Sweat beaded on George Kowukumeh’s forehead as he strained to pull a fishing net ashore in Accra, Ghana. A longtime fisherman, Kowukumeh was dismayed with his haul. He has felt the emotion often in recent years, as total…

ADF STAFF The Ghana Armed Forces in March participated in Exercise Sea Lion 2024, a timely weeklong maritime security exercise designed to sharpen the nation’s maritime security skills. Ghana’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Lt. Gen.…

LT. CMDR. DJAIBLOND DOMINIQUE-YOHANN KOUAKOU, CÔTE D’IVOIRE NATIONAL NAVY Coastal countries in Africa face a variety of maritime threats. These include trafficking; illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing; illegal…

ADF STAFF Nine crew members aboard a chemical tanker headed from Côte d’Ivoire to Cameroon were abducted by pirates in January as the ship sailed near Equatorial Guinea. Piracy is one of many sea crimes prevalent in the Gulf of…

ADF STAFF Eleven West African countries are designated as future fisheries conflict hot spots. These places could see clashes over marine resources in the next six years due to fish stocks depleted by illegal, unreported and…

ADF STAFF The kidnapping of crew members from a tanker ship traveling between Côte d’Ivoire and Cameroon on January 1, 2024, is a stark reminder that piracy remains a concern in the Gulf of Guinea. In response, the Nigerian Navy has added…