By Omar Bah
The West African regional bloc recently celebrated the success of Operation Safe Domain III, conducted from the 5th to the 9th of August, which significantly improved maritime safety along its Atlantic Ocean coast. This operation, a continuation of Safe Domain I in November 2021 and Safe Domain II in September of the previous year has made substantial strides in addressing maritime security challenges in the region.
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has identified the Gulf of Guinea, where several ECOWAS member states are located, as a piracy hotspot. Therefore, the ECOWAS Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) for Zone E, covering Benin, Nigeria, and Togo, led the five-day Operation Safe Domain III.
The operations’ activities included research, information exchange, maritime and aerial surveillance, and intervention by operational units when necessary. Ecowas Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah emphasized the importance of fully operationalizing the regional bloc’s maritime security architecture to strengthen regional peace and security.
The European Union (EU), through the Gulf of Guinea Inter-Regional Network (GoGIN) project, implemented by Expertise France, and other development partners such as UNODC, Denmark, Germany, and the United States (US) were acknowledged for their significant contributions. This international collaboration underscores the collective efforts to improve regional maritime security.
Nigerian Commodore Aniedi Ibok, Director of the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone E, highlighted the maritime challenges faced by ECOWAS, including piracy, sea robbery, and various forms of trafficking, and the adoption of the Ecowas Integrated Maritime Strategy (EIMS) in 2014 to address these challenges.
Nigerian Commodore Aniedi Ibok, Director of the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) Zone E, also shared the encouraging news of the significant reduction in marine crime incidents. From 49 reported piracy cases in 2018, the number has dropped to two in 2023, a testament to the coordinated efforts by ECOWAS, member states, and international partners. This reduction instills optimism about the future of maritime security in the region.
During Operation Safe Domain III, a coordinated deployment of four ships, one Defender boat, and one helicopter conducted extensive maritime patrols and drills within Zone E, targeting threats such as sea robbery, piracy, illegal fishing, and various forms of trafficking.
Operation Safe Domain IV is scheduled to take place in March 2025, with the aim of building on this year’s successes. Ibok emphasized the importance of continued collaboration among member states to protect their shared maritime heritage and ensure the free flow of global trade.
