…EU demonstrates continued commitment
Ambassador of the European Union to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly, has revealed that through the European Union’s Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP) Programme in the Gulf of Guinea and assistance from regional authorities, piracy in the West and Central African region has reduced by 90%.
Indeed, in January 2021 political endorsement was given the EU’s Coordinated Maritime Presence concept declaring the Gulf of Guinea as a Maritime Area of Interest to the EU, following an unprecedented rise in the number of multiple crew kidnappings onboard vessels.
Since then, naval assets from Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Spain and France have been deployed in the region for the fight against piracy and other maritime insecurities.
The Ambassador was speaking during a maritime exercise at Port Tema, where representatives of various European navies and India demonstrated the arsenals at their disposal for the collective fight against maritime insecurities in the region.
The various nations declared their continuous commitment to work with Ghanaian and regional maritime stakeholders to fight piracy, IUU fishing and other maritime insecurities.
His Excellency Javier Gutiérrez, Spanish Ambassador to Ghana said: “The crew of Spanish vessel Tornado will do defence cooperation activities with Ghanaian counterparts. I also hope we will see more and more of these exercises in the future”.
Colonel Romi Singh Legha, a Defence Advisor at the High Commission of India said: “So far as India remains part of the overall archictecture in the Gulf of Guinea, we will continue to participate in all the events organised here; and the Indian navy is always ready to provide assets for actual deployment in the area, even though this area is far from the shores of India”.
The EU Ambassador to Ghana also revealed the European Union will help Ghana with military support, which includes 105 armoured vehicles to address inland threats.
This gesture was welcomed by Ghana’s Chief of Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama.
