90% reduction in maritime piracy: EU demonstrates continued commitment

The Ambassador of the European Union to Ghana, Irchad Razaaly has revealed that through the European Union’s Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP) Program in the Gulf of Guinea, and assistance from regional authorities, piracy in the West and Central African region has been reduced by 90%.

Indeed, in January 2021, political endorsement was given to 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 on board 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 the Port of Tema, where representatives of the 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, the Spanish Ambassador to Ghana said “The crew of the Spanish vessel, Tornado will do defence cooperation activities with the Ghanaian counterparts. I also hope we will see more and more of these exercises in the future.”

Colonel Romi Singh Legha, a Defence Advisor of the High Commission of India said “So far as India remains part of the overall architecture in the Gulf of Guinea, we will continue to participate in all the events that are organized 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 that 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 the Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Seth Amoama.