In June 2013, representatives from 25 West and Central African governments, ECOWAS, and ECCAS gathered in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to pledge their cooperation to curb illicit activities in the Gulf of Guinea. The resulting Yaoundé Protocol (also known as the Yaoundé Code of Conduct) put forth a shared vision for addressing maritime challenges faced by the region. The agreement instituted the zonal security architecture needed to collaboratively patrol the waterways off the coast of West and Central Africa, which had been subjected to the highest rates of piracy of any region in the world.
In this interview, Dr. Assis Malaquias, a key facilitator of the Protocol, looks back on the significance of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct and its impact on the Gulf of Guinea’s declining piracy as well as on the region’s “culture of togetherness” in security collaboration. He outlines additional priorities for executing the Yaoundé Protocol, including the need to continue developing national maritime strategies and other mechanisms at the country level to protect the sovereignty of the state at sea. Looking ahead to the next decade, Dr. Malaquias draws a link between the region’s prospects for prosperity and the protection of the maritime highways connecting its ports to one another and to the broader world.
Additional Resources
- Antonin Tisseron, “Lutte contre la piraterie dans le golfe de Guinée – L’architecture de Yaoundé : dix ans après, au milieu de gué,” Étude n° 104, IRSEM, March 2023.
- Africa Center for Strategic Studies, “Trends in African Maritime Security,” Spotlight, March 15, 2019.
- Africa Center for Strategic Studies, “Innovating Security Solutions on the Seas in the Seychelles,” Spotlight, May 25, 2018.
- André Standing, “Criminality in Africa’s Fishing Industry: A Threat to Human Security,” Africa Security Brief No. 33, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, June 2017.
- Africa Center for Strategic Studies, “National Maritime Security Strategy Development Toolkit,” 2016.
- Africa Center for Strategic Studies, “Africa Center’s Assis Malaquias Recognized for Work on Maritime Security,” Spotlight, July 30, 2015.
- Africa Center for Strategic Studies, “Maritime Security in the Gulf of Guinea: A Primer,” Spotlight, May 20, 2015.
- Adeniyi Adejimi Osinowo, “Combating Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea,” Africa Security Brief No. 30, Africa Center for Strategic Studies, February 2015.
- Africa Center for Strategic Studies, “Expert to African Leaders: Do Not Ignore the Maritime Domain,” Spotlight, August 1, 2014.
- Augustus Vogel, “Investing in Science and Technology to Meet Africa’s Maritime Security Challenges,” Africa Security Brief No. 10, February 2011.
- Augustus Vogel, “Navies Versus Coast Guards: Defining the Roles of African Maritime Security Forces,” Africa Security Brief No. 2, December 2009.
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