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MARITIME SECURITY

T he late Nelson Mandela once said: “I dream of an

Africa which is in peace with itself.” At the EU-Afri- ca summit in Brussels last month, European leaders urged their African counterparts to facilitate that dream by shouldering more of the security burden in their countries, both onshore and offshore. The summit coincided with reports of renewed piracy activity in the Gulf of Aden; ongoing at- tacks on shipping in the Gulf of Guinea, and explosions and mass arrests in Kenya, all serving to underline the scale of that challenge.

High Stakes: International Interests and Effort

With African exports to European countries at an all time high, and the UK, France and the United States jostling for the title of the biggest investor in Africa, the stakes have never been higher, nor the waterways so important. NATO ships, joined by other international vessels, are into their seventh year of protecting international shipping in the Gulf of Aden and off the Horn of Africa. While the mandate was extended for two more years in 2012, a second extension is not guar- anteed.

By Sarah Yuen

Drum Cussac readies local countries to address the scourge of piracy, which up until now has been a largely international endeavor, with a focused ‘capacity building effort.’

Offshore Africa: Securing a Continent 22 | Maritime Professional | 2Q 2014 18-33 Q2 MP2014.indd 22 5/16/2014 2:51:30 PM