The Big Island at the Heart of Regional Initiatives

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies (CESA) launched a five-day seminar on maritime security on February 24. The event brought together representatives from ten countries in the Western Indian Ocean region.

The goal of this meeting is to improve regional coordination to combat transnational organized crime at sea. U.S. Ambassador to Madagascar Claire Pierangelo said: « It is only through our collective efforts, intelligence sharing, and coordinated actions that we can protect our waters and ensure the prosperity of our region ».

During this week, fifty maritime security officers and officials from Comoros, Djibouti, Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, and Tanzania will meet. The aim will be to discuss interoperability mechanisms and develop a Regional Maritime Security Strategy, within the framework of the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC). Discussions will also focus on the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, considered a major threat to regional maritime security.

CESA, founded in 1999, is a forum for research and training on security issues in Africa, aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of African institutions. The Big Island has approximately 50 CESA alumni, including industry professionals and influential political figures, thus strengthening cooperation in the Western Indian Ocean.

The opening ceremony was attended by key figures, including the United States Ambassador to Madagascar, Ambassador Robert Scott of USAFRICOM and Dr. Assis Malaquias, Academic Dean of CESA. The Minister of Fisheries and Blue Economy, Paubert Mahatante, was also present.