The French Challenge
Mrs Genevieve Darrieussecq, the Secretary of State to the French Minister for the Armed Forces, has advocated for concerted efforts to address the challenges of maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
She said concerted efforts were needed to carry out a decisive work to combat the scourges that threaten safety at sea, which was an indispensable work for the development of the West Africa sub-region.
Mrs. Darrieussecq made the appeal in Accra at the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea Group (G7++FoGG) 2019 summit.
The three-day meeting, which is being co-chaired by Ghana and France, is on the theme “Working Together for the Common Security of the Gulf of Guinea”.
The G7++FoGG is composed of Germany, Canada, the United States, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Brazil (observer), South Korea, Denmark, Spain, Norway, the Netherlands, Portugal, Switzerland, the European Union, UNODC and INTERPOL.
The objective of the G7++FoGG is to assist the Gulf of Guinea countries in reforming the security of their maritime areas, harmonizing the various legal frameworks in the fight against maritime crime, strengthening inter-state cooperation, and promoting the blue economy.
Mrs Darrieussecq said the Government of France attaches much significance to G7++FoGG and the same to the maritime issues of the Gulf of Guinea, adding that these were strong partnerships and trusted agendas that one would want to maintain and build upon.
She said in the Gulf of Guinea, maritime security issues were particularly complex; citing the incidents of pirates attacks, illegal fishing and drug and human trafficking.
“One of the major consequences is the increased fragility of all riparian countries and a decline in economic development,” Mrs Darrieussecq stated.
“However, as we know, economic development is essential to ensure the stability of a dynamic space, a space with a huge potential for growth…”
It was government’s job to ensure security; reassure investors and guarantee the conditions of development, Mrs Darrieussecq said.
“These challenges are immense. A year is obviously a very short period to deal with it. But France and Ghana are not starting from scratch. We had the remarkable work done by previous presidencies.”
She said it was in this continuity that France and Ghana had written their action; because it was a collective effort in the long term, an effort that aimed to continue.
“We share the need for joint, mutual and shared maritime security, which is the essence of this meeting,” Mrs Darrieussecq said.
Source: Business Ghana. Continue reading…
