African Security: The African Maritime Security Summit | International Quality & Productivity Center | 30 May 2017 | Moroco, North Africa

Maritime security is still at the forefront of Africa’s agenda, with much economic development reliant on maritime trade. Alongside ensuring the security of the maritime domain for legitimate economy uses, is the importance of denying it for illicit ones. International criminal networks are using the West African sub-region as a key global hub for the distribution, wholesale, and production of illicit drug. This activity threatens to reverse progress made in democratic and economic development. The proceeds of crime fuels narco-corruption in the region, allowing drug traffickers to co-opt political power, this represents an existential threat to West African Nations.

Despite nations in the region boosting defence spending, it is evident from their nature that transnational maritime security threats cannot be addressed by individual states in isolation. Significant progress has been made with cohesive regional cooperation, including milestone agreements such as the Gulf of Guinea Code of Conduct, as well as more recently the break-through agreement in Zone D (Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and ST&P) that promises to be a major model for further maritime security cooperation.

Monsieur Charles Richard Mondjo
Minister of Defence
Republic of Congo

Major General Hassan Ali Kamil
Advisor to the Chief of the General Staff
Djibouti Armed Forces (FAD)

Vice Admiral Valentim Alberto António
Chief of Navy Staff
Angolan Navy

Rear Admiral Peter Kofi Faidoo
Chief of Naval Staff
Ghana Navy

Rear Admiral Isselkou El Wely
Chief of Navy Staff
Mauritanian Navy

Rear Admiral Djakaridja Konate
Chief of Navy Staff
Navy of Côte d'Ivoire

Rear Admiral Momar Diagne
Chief of Navy Staff
Senegalese Navy

Captain Albert BADOU
Chief of Navy Staff
Armed forces of Benin

Captain Cyrille Serge Atonfack Guemo
Technical Adviser to The Minister
Cameroon Ministry of Defence

Commander Loïc Moudouma
Director of Operations
Gabon Nav

Colonel Abdourahman Aden Cher
Commander
Djibouti navy

Colonel Abdourahmane Dieng
Head of the Regional Security Division
ECOWAS Commission

Vice Admiral (ret) Jean-Pierre Labonne
Project coordinator, Gulf of Guinea Inter-regional Network (GoGIN)
European Union

Abdirizak M. Ahmed (Ducaysane)
Director General, Puntland Maritime Security Programme (MASE) Coordinaton Office
Puntland State of Somalia

Captain (R) Phillip Heyl
Principal
The Heyl Group

Dr. Ian M. Ralby
Founder & CEO, I.R. Consilium and Nonresident Senior Fellow
The Atlantic Council

Alexander Stephenson
Director of Regional Security Conferences
Defence IQ

Exhibitors:
OCEA
Brunswick CGP
Metal Shark Boats