The Commandant of the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Air Vice Marshal David A. Akrong, has called for a continent-wide approach to maritime security, warning that geopolitical tensions, organised crime and shifting global shipping routes pose growing challenges to Africa’s coastal states.

Speaking at the maiden African Maritime Security Forum in Accra on Wednesday, October 14, Air Vice Marshal Akrong said the forum’s expansion beyond the Gulf of Guinea reflected the reality that maritime threats no longer respected regional boundaries.

He said the new platform would connect security discussions covering the Gulf of Guinea, southern African sea routes and the western Indian Ocean, enabling countries to develop coordinated responses to shared challenges.

The inaugural forum, held under the theme “The African Maritime Landscape in Times of Geopolitical Uncertainty in 2026 and Onwards”, brings together African maritime security practitioners, naval leaders, scholars and international partners to examine emerging threats and develop practical policy recommendations.

Air Vice Marshal Akrong acknowledged that piracy in the Gulf of Guinea had declined significantly, attributing the progress to regional frameworks and cooperation, including the Yaoundé Architecture, which supports information-sharing and coordinated maritime patrols.

However, he warned that the underlying causes of maritime insecurity remained persistent, citing limited law enforcement capacity, weak coastal governance, youth unemployment, environmental degradation and marine pollution.

He also highlighted renewed piracy threats in the Somali Basin and western Indian Ocean, alongside transnational organised crime, including smuggling, trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

According to the KAIPTC Commandant, these activities continue to undermine maritime security and threaten economic stability in coastal states.

He further warned that geopolitical tensions and insecurity beyond Africa’s immediate borders were having direct consequences for the continent’s maritime environment.

In particular, he noted that disruptions around strategic international shipping chokepoints, including the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz, were contributing to the rerouting of global shipping traffic towards southern Africa’s Cape sea route.

These developments, he said, demonstrated the need for stronger maritime domain awareness and greater cooperation to anticipate and respond to the wider security and economic consequences of global crises.

Air Vice Marshal Akrong called for innovative strategies, greater adoption of technology and robust legal frameworks to address evolving maritime threats, stressing that responses must tackle the underlying drivers of insecurity rather than merely its symptoms.

The two-day forum is expected to examine the implications of geopolitical changes for African maritime security governance and develop actionable recommendations to strengthen regional and cross-regional policies.

The Commandant expressed appreciation to the Government of Denmark for its support and commended the Royal Danish Defence College (RDDC) and the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa (SIGLA) at Stellenbosch University for their partnership in organising the forum.

Since 2022, the three institutions have collaborated under a maritime security programme supported by Denmark to convene annual conferences, initially focused on the Gulf of Guinea. Meetings in Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 2024 and 2025 also addressed developments in the Red Sea and their implications for African coastal states.

The decision to establish the African Maritime Security Forum marks a broader ambition to promote safer seas and a prosperous blue economy across the continent.

Air Vice Marshal Akrong urged participants to engage in open and constructive discussions, expressing confidence that stronger partnerships and practical solutions would help secure Africa’s maritime spaces and support sustainable economic growth.