Maritime Security Interventions in the Gulf of Guinea

Issue No. 1 examines maritime security interventions in the Gulf of Guinea, with particular attention to the role of external actors alongside regional and national forces. The five articles in this volume were contributed by naval and coast guard officers, university researchers, and legal practitioners from Ghana and partner countries, and were reviewed by this volume's editorial board prior to publication.

In This Issue

Research ArticleMaritime Security

Maritime Security Interventions in the Gulf of Guinea: Mapping the Role of External Actors

Lt. Cdr. Kwabena Owusu, Dr. Ama Serwaa Boateng

This article maps the range of external naval and institutional interventions in Gulf of Guinea maritime security since 2015, from bilateral ship visits to multinational exercises and capacity-building programmes. It argues that interventions are most effective, and most durable, when they are built around existing regional architectures such as the Yaoundé Code of Conduct rather than run in parallel to them.

Research ArticleCapacity Building

Coast Guard Capacity and Interagency Coordination in Gulf of Guinea Maritime Security

Cdr. Yaw Antwi-Danso, Sub-Lt. Efua Mensah

Drawing on operational experience within Ghana's coast guard command structures, this article examines the practical obstacles to interagency coordination between navies, fisheries authorities, customs, and port authorities, and proposes a set of coordination practices adaptable to partner countries in the region.

Research ArticleRegional Governance & Law

Legal Frameworks for Prosecuting Piracy and Armed Robbery at Sea in the Gulf of Guinea

Nana Akosua Frimpong, Dr. Kojo Adjei

This article reviews the domestic legal frameworks available to Gulf of Guinea states for prosecuting piracy and armed robbery at sea, identifies jurisdictional gaps that have historically allowed suspects to be released without charge, and recommends legislative and procedural reforms.

Research ArticleRegional Governance & Law

External Naval Presence and Regional Ownership: Balancing Partnership and Sovereignty in Gulf of Guinea Security

Dr. Comfort Adjei-Mensah, Lt. Cdr. Effiong Bassey

This article examines the tension between welcoming external naval partnership and preserving regional ownership of maritime security outcomes in the Gulf of Guinea, drawing on interviews with regional naval officers and policy documents from partner-country deployments.

Research ArticleMaritime Security

Information Sharing Architectures and the Yaoundé Code of Conduct: Progress and Gaps

Cdr. Patricia Nyarko, Capt. Ibrahim Diallo

This article assesses progress in maritime information-sharing across Gulf of Guinea states under the Yaoundé Architecture, identifying which regional centres are receiving consistent reporting and where gaps remain, and offers recommendations for closing them.