Issue 2, July 2021
Welcome!
For us at SWAIMS but also for the broader maritime community, this cold season has been warmly abuzz with activity and unprecedented victories in the maritime domain – a fitting celebration of the three international maritime observances that all fall in June: International Day against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, World Ocean Day and Day of the Seafarer.
In the spirit of the season, we bring you history-making good news on landmark successful pirate convictions in the Gulf of Guinea – a first. Plus capacity-building for maritime security. But also the not-so-good news: yawning gaps in the underpinning structure to assure sustained and well-coordinated regional maritime security in West Africa – the sobering subject of our editorial.
Read on and take action where you can!
Contents
1. Editorial
2. Maritime security: regional private sector speaks
3. SWAIMS webinar: Private-sector perceptions of piracy – Statistics and solutions
4. Perceptions II: the cost of maritime insecurity
5. News roundup from SWAIMS implementing partners
6. SWAIMS at IMDEC 2021
7. What next?
8. Announcements
1. EDITORIAL
Time to review the Regional Architecture?
There is no denying that for reduction in number of pirate attacks and abductions for ransom, there has been real progress in the Gulf of Guinea according to the International Maritime Bureau report Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships for the period 1 January–30 June 2021. Sure, the region accounted for a good one-third of all incidents, all reported kidnappings, and the one crew fatality. But there is good news beneath the trend: for instance, a five-fold-plus drop in piracy incidents with ‘only’ six incidents in quarter 2 2021 compared to 33 during the same period in 2020.
The report attributes this welcome development to three aspects: (i) increased activity of international navies, which includes, prominently, the presence of vessels from Denmark, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain that are coordinated by the European Union’s Common Maritime Presence initiative; (ii) strong measures by Nigeria, the region’s powerhouse, with the launch of the Deep Blue Project; (iii) the creation of the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum–Shared Awareness and De-confliction, GoG–MCF/SHADE (SWAIMS, sadly is not mentioned).
This newly created forum has been welcomed by players in the region, such as Ghana’s Chief of Navy staff (see IMDEC story in this issue) and external partners. It owes its creation to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the International Coordination Centre in Yaoundé, and has held a number of meetings with many other players. While the detailed mandate and operational functions remain to be elaborated, the initiative itself points to the need for closer cooperation among regional forces and between the region and external powers.
A framework is already provided by the Yaoundé Code of Conduct. But as is increasingly apparent, the different components of its architecture are not working optimally. At the same time, much has been achieved in fostering intra-regional collaboration and establishing operational Multinational Maritime Coordination Centres. More equipment, including through the SWAIMS programme, is in the pipeline, the Yaoundé Architecture Regional Information System (YARIS) being developed by the Gulf of Guinea Inter-regional Network (GOGIN) is close to roll-out, while the pool of trained maritime professionals is continually growing.
New capabilities will inevitably require new resources. But before these are built and mobilised, a first step is to closely examine current functions and capabilities. When the Yaoundé Architecture was taking shape, some observers cautioned on its numerous layers and complexity. What appeared appealing on the drawing board has proven difficult to work with in practice, while the costs have been difficult to bear. As the regional system approaches the end of its first decade, a root-and-branch assessment of the structure is needed to reshape and recharge it. The International Maritime Organisation has already sponsored technical working groups to review some aspects. More such efforts are needed if policymakers and funders are to commit new resources and responsibilities and recoup on the investments.
As demonstrated by Deep Blue and Falcon Eye run by NIMASA and the Nigerian navy respectively, Nigeria can lead the way in investing in maritime security. A common platform that enables regional coordination and access by external partners is indispensable if the process is to yield meaningful and actionable results in the most efficient and resource-effective manner. The framework for this already exists. All that is now need is an overhaul for it to work effectively and optimally.
An assessment of performance and operational achievement of the system to date would rapidly pinpoint gaps and opportunities for both savings and investments. Because when contrasted with the enormous costs of maritime insecurity, it will be clear that concerted and coordinated investment in maritime security is not only lower, but promises a much more handsome return on investment than any piecemeal and sporadic measures to curb maritime insecurity.
2. Maritime security: regional private sector speaks
The private sector is both a critical partner in and a primary victim of maritime insecurity. Not surprisingly, the professional associations representing private shipping companies are among the first to call for stronger action on security.
A recent example is the Gulf of Guinea Declaration on Suppression of Piracy. Drafted at a meeting of shipowners convened by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the declaration exhorts that “no seafarer should face the grave risks of kidnapping and violence when transporting cargo, supporting the offshore sector, or fishing in the Gulf of Guinea”. Strikingly, most of the signatories are headquartered in cities outside West Africa. In shipping as in other industries, West Africa is not strongly represented. Yet the region’s private sector is vibrant, active and organised, underscoring the importance of including their views and voices in the policy dialogue. More so in Nigeria, the regional giant, where several associations and organisations collectively represent private-sector interests.
On 20th May 2021, the SWAIMS team was kindly received by the Nigerian Shippers Council in Apapa. The Council lamented how their members were severely affected by the dire insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG). Ms Ifeoma Ezedinma, Director, Regulatory Services, said that they hoped that NIMASA’S Deep Blue Project would restore security in the GoG, understanding that this would neither happen overnight nor without the help of critical stakeholders.
The following day the team visited the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) at Lagos Island. SOAN has more than 100 members each of whom owns a minimum of three vessels. One of the directors explained how the consequences of the attacks on shipping linger long after the attack itself. Worst of all is the risk of injury or even death for their crew who as Dr Mkgeorge Onyung, President of SOAN explained, “are like family to us”. Then there is the loss or damage to the vessel and cargo. Plus the legal problems when clients sue companies for failing to deliver on their contract.
It is with these problems in mind that SOAN has been organising events and urging policymakers to pay greater attention to security off Nigeria’s coastline. In 2019 the association organised the first Lagos International Shipping Conference: security was one of the main concerns voiced. But it is not all g loom and doom. Several members of the association provide security services, and they have notched up successes that are forgotten in the furore over continuing regular attacks. Yet it should be noted that even while pirates range far across the Gulf of Guinea, there have been no attempts against the oil installations that lie within paddling distance of pirate bases. This is in no small way due to the diligence of the private security companies working closely with the navy.
Media coverage of the SWAIMS visit
3. SWAIMS webinar: Private-sector perceptions of piracy – Statistics and solutions
While the security situation continues to attract growing attention from policy makers, maritime security experts and international shipping sector, the views of the West African private sector are not always well-represented. To help fill this gap, the SWAIMS team organised a webinar on Private sector perceptions of piracy: Statistics and solutions. François Morizur, a maritime security expert, set the scene by recalling that in 2020, 195 attacks were recorded during which 191 sailors were kidnapped, assaulted, injured or threatened. The Niger Delta remains the epicentre of maritime insecurity averaging 100 attacks annually in 2010–2021.
Commandant Coulibaly Adama, General Manager of Cabinet of Maritime Expertise and Transport, said too little is done for the victimised sailors who suffer deep – and perhaps irreparable – trauma. Though some shipowners are prepared to employ private armed guards, Benin is currently the only ECOWAS country allowing this. Other countries instead require that ship masters hire national naval officers. Yet according to him, the presence of guards in conjunction with permanent military patrols have been instrumental in ending maritime insecurity in the Horn of Africa.
The President of the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) Dr Mkgeorge Okon Onyung listed four key principals prerequisite for any corrective action: demonstrable political commitment, increased operational efficiency, transparent regulatory systems and increased public awareness. “The federal government and the National Assembly have a crucial role to play here by being transparent and accountable to the Nigerian public,” he asserted.
Public awareness also extends to the problem of illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, possibly the most rampant maritime crime causing the greatest damage to coastal communities in West Africa. Ms Namrata Kolla, Product Engagement Manager, Vulcan Engineering’s Skylight Project and Naval Captain Dame Mboup (Rtd) of Global Fishing Watch presented their companies. Both organisations use maritime analysis tools to identify suspicious behaviour of vessels at sea. The tools are easy to access and offered free of charge. Through these systems, all activities of large vessels can be traced, IUU fishing activities tracked, marine-protected areas better monitored, and marine pollution monitoring improved.
In the lively Q&A session, participants underlined how important dialogue was for productive public–private partnerships on maritime security in the region. Mr Jean-Philippe Picquart, Team Leader, Gulf of Guinea Inter-regional Network (GoGIN), particularly appreciated the Skylight and Global Fishing Watch presentations. He proposed to work with the promoters of these solutions to analyse the possibility of merging them into the YARIS (Yaoundé Architecture Regional Information Sharing) platform, to which the analytical and information tools are complementary. Naval Captain Sylvestre Fonkoua Mbah regarded maritime piracy as a crime and called on governments for more political will to provide appropriate naval assets to navies and other maritime surveillance agencies. Dr Zacharie Sohoun raised the problem of vessels under 15 metres that are not equipped with AIS (automatic identification system) and fall outside the scope of Global Fishing Watch. Captain Dame Mboup responded that it is up to each government to determine the size of the vessels to be fitted with AIS. Naval Captain Charles Bamélé (Côte d’Ivoire) expressed his satisfaction at having participated in the event.
Ms Urszula Solkiewicz, International Cooperation Officer at the European Union Delegation to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and ECOWAS Commission, thanked the ECOWAS Commission, panellists and participants, and congratulated the SWAIMS team for the initiative. She underlined the importance of the Gulf of Guinea for maritime trade, while also unfortunately one of the most dangerous maritime routes in the world. “We all recognise the political, social and economic importance of maritime security in this region, which hosts more than 20,000 ships a year”. With the actions carried out as part of the Yaoundé process to mitigate maritime threats, there is no lack of strategies and policies in the region, she added.
The EU contributes to this process in general and to the ECOWAS Integrated Maritime Strategy in particular. The European actions are carried out within the framework of the EU strategy and action plan for the Gulf of Guinea, which Ms Solkiewicz described as an integrated approach that combines political, security, economic, development and cooperation engagements. She highly commended the recommendations by the panellists, taking into account the evolution of the pirate-attacks pattern and the proposals for protecting seafarers. She concluded by encouraging continued public–private dialogue, which could lead to public–private partnerships on maritime security in the region.
Video of the webinar | Presentations and paper on SlideShare
4. Perceptions II: the cost of maritime insecurity
Following on from our last survey published in SWAIMS News Issue 1 in April, we asked our readers to estimate the financial cost of piracy and armed robbery at sea. It was a finger in the wind exercise that could conceivably contribute to a broader and more detailed study being undertaken by CRIMSON. We had 45 responses, which fell to 39 after data cleaning. Such studies pinpoint (mis) conceptions by maritime professionals and may reflect more widely held attitudes in the general public.
This time we did not provide a range but asked for guestimates on annual costs in US Dollars or Nigerian Naira. We emphasised that this was not an attempt to scope the damage but rather gathering anecdotal evidence to better understand what people in the maritime and security sectors perceive the overall costs to be. To guide responses, we suggested respondents consider the following expenses among others:
- costs for hostage release: (a) ransom payments (b) ransom negotiation, legal, payment and related costs
- costs of damage on vessels due to attacks
- additional insurance premiums for vessels entering the Gulf of Guinea
- protection costs for: a) escort vessels b) armed guards/additional security personnel
- premiums paid to seafarers for working in the Gulf of Guinea
- costs for physical deterrence measures (e.g. razor wire/anti-boarding devices)
The discrepancies in the estimates were fascinating, with intervals that are far in excess of what was reported in the last survey. It is instructive how low many participants think the costs are, with 20% of respondents assessing the annual costs to be less than USD 1 million and a further 5% thinking it below 10 million. In contrast, a small group (4%) thought the costs were in excess of USD 2 billion.
Anecdotal information from private-sector colleagues makes us believe that the costs are indeed significant, and exponentially higher than the income enjoyed by hostage-takers. Interestingly, whereas in the first survey most respondents believed pirate income was much higher than research has suggested, the converse is the case when it comes to estimating the costs to industry. Most people seriously underestimate the costs to shipping and often – though this may be a question for another survey – fail to understand who in the end bears the brunt of those costs.
What this rapid study confirms is the lack of awareness even among professionals working in the sector on the actual costs of maritime insecurity. It is likely the same for most policymakers. All the more urgent then is the need to target policy- and decision-makers directly and purposefully on the substantial benefits and cost-savings that a modest investment in maritime security will deliver for national and regional economies alike.
5. News roundup from SWAIMS implementing partners
Camões makes landfall
On 28th May 2021, Portugal’s Instituto Camões team held its first virtual meeting with Dr Cyriaque Agnekenthom, ECOWAS Director for Peacekeeping and Regional Security. Within SWAIMS, Camões is responsible for equipment supply and operational training to enhance maritime security.
Among matters discussed was drafting a memorandum of understanding between Camões and the 12 ECOWAS coastal states that are direct actors in maritime security: country focal points will be needed for programme implementation.
In early July, Commodore Carlos Campos and Captain Pedro Ribeiro attended IMDEC 2021 (see separate story), presenting on their project and other support the Portuguese navy provides to the Gulf of Guinea. In mid-July, Captain Ribeiro, SWAIMS Liaison Officer and Naval Expert, arrived in Abuja, Nigeria. He is attached to the Portuguese Embassy.
Now that there are ‘boots on the ground’, we expect to ramp up activity, working closely with regional counterparts to identify appropriate recipients of the EU-funded rigid-hull inflatable boats (RHIBS). Watch this space!
GIABA is recruiting country researchers
One of the tenets for any criminal investigation is to follow the money. But when it comes to maritime crime, be it piracy, armed robbery at sea, IUU fishing, oil theft and so on, the financial circuits have for long been steeped in mystery.
Last year, UNODC and the University of Copenhagen published their ground-breaking study that – for the first time – provides an authoritative account of how the ransom earnings are split between the various actors and facilitators in abductions.
The study demonstrates in graphic detail that for all but the negotiators and a handful of investors in abductions, crime does not pay.
Building on this pioneering work, GIABA’s Policy and Research Directorate is undertaking a study on how the proceeds of criminal activity at sea enter the economy, the laundering mechanisms, and the consequent dependencies and relationships that arise. As part of the broad SWAIMS programme, GIABA worked closely with SWAIMS’ Technical Assistance Team on the concept note and selecting study sites, and is now recruiting field researchers.
The terms of reference are being translated into all three official ECOWAS languages. In each country, local researchers will work with national Financial Intelligence Units. The goal of the country-level research is to understand the underlying factors as well as the challenges in each country, and present the findings for stakeholder validation later in the year. We will report on findings on a rolling basis.
Training at ISMI and RMU
From 5th–16th July 2021, the Interregional Institute of Maritime Security (ISMI) of the Regional Academy of Marine Sciences and Technologies (ARSTM) in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, organised a training course entitled Law enforcement at sea: Training of officers in managing of cases armed robbery, maritime piracy and illicit trafficking – the first of its kind at ISMI (see photos). The course included a practical exercise on crime-scene management by boarding and searching a ship. This is the third cohort in ISMI's SWAIMS–FORMAR training programme financed by the European Union. ISMI is preparing for the next cohort of trainees which will include the same 10-day law-enforcement course from 15th-26th November 2021 but this time for non-commissioned officers.
In the meantime, the Regional Maritime University (RMU) in Accra, Ghana, is reviewing all the eight modules of its SWAIMS courses, drawing on the lessons learnt from running the maiden programme as they prepare for the next intake later this year. The next training session was to have started in August 2021. But due to the fluid situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, date and details have had to be postponed and will be announced later. Nevertheless, registration is ongoing.
SAN-speak: Voices of the SWAIMS Alumni Network
We introduced the SWAIMS Alumni Network (SAN) in SWAIMS News Issue 1. The story continues...
Security’s in their DNA but… next generation of Noahs flies away to the sea
No. It’s not about the Noahs of the biblical ark. It is present-day Nigeria. But still about vessels, the sea and safety in this tell-all blood-and-bones tale
Son of an air force officer who took a turn to sailing and the sea, Captain Isa Noah (pictured) has been a proud member of the Nigerian Merchant Navy since 2008.
His motivation and aspirations? “I first joined to contribute to global trade and security. The Merchant Navy are seafarers who engage in global maritime trade and share a similar mission with the Navy.”
Isa was one of the 27 officers who participated in the July 2021 ISMI course on law enforcement at sea. “For me, taking the course was a no-brainer. The importance of law enforcement at sea in the Gulf of Guinea cannot be overemphasised: it helps establish policies to aid investment and trade,” says Isa.
He found the course very engaging. Topics covered included how to record different maritime piracy offences such as armed robbery and illicit trafficking, as well as conducting investigations and managing a crime scene. Participants from the different ECOWAS and ECCAS countries described specific maritime challenges facing their countries.
Isa is an ardent advocate for the safety of seafarers. “I am Is dismayed by the current insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea in the form of piracy, kidnapping and so on. This makes seafarers wary about boarding merchant vessels and cripples the Gulf’s blue economy,” laments Isa.
But there are solutions at hand. “This training at ISMI got me thinking that ECOWAS states need to work hand-in-hand with their seafarers who are great tools to tackle maritime insecurity in the region,” asserts Isa. While he acknowledges that not every ECOWAS country faces the twin challenges of piracy and armed robbery at sea – a fact that was reinforced during the training – he still desires that ECOWAS states emulate Nigeria’s Deep Blue Project to combat maritime insecurity in the Gulf and improve access to – and enhance – the blue economy.
Isa led the winning team during the course’s board-and-search practical exercise on an Ivorian naval vessel. For the mock exercise, a ship that claimed to be carrying agricultural products was instead trafficking drugs.
Isa would be keen to attend further training to deepen his skills and knowledge. He is open to participating in maritime activities and operations in the region, including building the capacity of others in maritime security through what he learnt from the course. He can be reached through the SAN Secretariat.
UNODC: SWAIMS legal assistance is helping bring pirates to justice in Togo and Nigeria
Two landmark rulings in West African courts recently made history and marked an irreversible turning point in restoring the rule of law to the turbulent waters of the Gulf of Guinea.
 In Lomé, Togo, the Court of Assises used modifications made in 2016 to the amended Penal Code of 2015 to convict nine suspects – comprising seven Nigerians, one Togolese and one Ghanaian– of maritime piracy, voluntary violence, attempted robbery and being part of a criminal group. Penal Code modifications in 2016 added maritime piracy to the list of punishable offences. The suspects were responsible for carrying out the attack on the tanker G-Dona 1 on 11th May 2019, a situation that was resolved by the swift intervention of the Togolese navy.
 Meanwhile in Lagos, Nigeria, the Federal High Court ruled against 10 defendants charged with four counts including maritime piracy under the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offences (SPOMO) Act 2019. The accused persons were sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment and a fine of NGN 250,000 on each of the four counts. The suspects had boarded the Chinese fishing vessel Hailufeng II on 15th May 2020 taking hostage 18 crew members. The pirates were apprehended by the Nigerian Navy.
During this process, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the context of the EU-funded SWAIMS programme provided general trial support including interpretation services for foreign defendants, as well as provision of technical court items to ensure the smooth functioning of court proceedings.
6. SWAIMS at the International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (IMDEC)
It is rare for high-level naval officials and decision-makers from different nations to be in one place at the same time. But it happened on 6–8 July in Accra, Ghana at IMDEC.
This largest of gatherings of Africa’s maritime industry and security sector was attended by representatives from all ECOWAS navies, including the chiefs of naval staff (CNSs) from Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. The opportunity to exchange experiences, consult and interact was widely embraced. Hosted by Ghana Navy and billed as an exhibition and conference, the event was an interesting hybrid offering debate at various levels – political, strategic, operational and tactical. It is a unique opportunity to take stock of the opportunities and challenges facing the maritime domain in the Gulf of Guinea.
After the official opening by Ghana’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia, it was straight into core theme – the role of regional air forces in securing maritime space. Frank Hanson, the Ghanaian Chief of Air Staff, emphasised the importance of inter-service collaboration and the critical role played by air services for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The idea of a shared budget was floated to enable the other services to draw on air assets. Several industry representatives pressed hard for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), as a low cost, easy-to-handle alternative to piloted aircraft. An added advantage of larger UAVs is that they can stay in the air for much longer.
Taking the notions of partnership even further, Ghana’s Chief of Naval Staff Rear Admiral Issah Yakubu called on ECOWAS to declare war on piracy and create a joint task force within the framework of the Yaoundé Architecture modelled on the example of ECOMOG. Coastal states should pool their resources into transit corridors that ensure safety for ships traversing the region. The case for transit corridors was echoed for by Nigeria’s CNS, Vice-Admiral Awwal Zubairu Gambo, who added the proviso that “If you move outside the safe zones and something happens, you [only] have yourself to blame”.
Transit corridors would also enable external partners who are increasingly deploying assets to the region to plug into an operational and fully integrated system. Some participants drew comparisons with Operation Atalanta which was a main factor in restoring maritime safety off the coast of Somalia. Colonel Abdourahmane Dieng, Head of ECOWAS’ Regional Security Division, underscored the need for more coordination between the region and external partners, stating that by its very nature, the Yaoundé Code of Conduct provided a perfectly adequate platform for this all-international coordination. “The Yaoundé Code of Conduct doesn't have a legal character: it only has a political character,” he clarified.
In a panel chaired by SWAIMS Acting Team Leader Axel Klein, the Executive Director of the Gulf of Guinea Commission, Ambassador Florentina Ukonga, pointed to the need to further strengthen the Yaoundé Architecture. She called on international partners to redouble their support while exhorting countries in the region to follow up on their commitments. The voluntary agreement that ECOWAS and ECCAS (Economic Community of Central African States) countries signed in 2013 provides a valuable starting point for a legally binding convention.
This specific call to action was repeated in numerous side meetings and intersects with discussions in different fora including the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea and the Shared Awareness and De-Confliction (SHADE, an international operational counter-piracy platform) strongly championed by Nigeria and others.
One of the questions raised by frontline officers was how to best draw on the lessons so far. A radical review of the Yaoundé Architecture including a detailed analysis of the role and function of its different components may well be on the cards. Now that the maritime centres have been running for several years it could be valuable to draw on their experience when revitalising regional action to meet the maritime challenges of the next decade.
Photos from IMDEC 2021
7. What next?
September
- SWAIMS CSOs Webinar, Senegal (TBC)
October
- SWAIMS Steering Committee, Abuja/online, 8th Oct
- Training workshop on maritime security, data collection and dissemination in MMCC Zone E and CRESMAO, Cotonou/Abidjan, (TBC)
- SWAIMS awareness-raising workshop for landlocked countries, Niamey, October (TBC)
December
- SWAIMS–PESCAO workshop on maritime insecurity and IUU fishing, Accra/Lomé, December (TBC)
8. Announcements
- SHADE GoG Plenary Meeting, 14th Sep
- World Maritime Day, 30th Sep. Theme: Seafarers: at the core of shippingʹs future
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