West African nations, with the support of international partners, recently conducted Exercise Grand African Nemo. This multinational naval exercise aimed to bolster collaborative security and operational capacity across 5,700 kilometers (3,540 miles) of coastline in the Gulf of Guinea, spanning from Senegal to Angola. With participation from 28 nations deploying 55 naval vessels, 12 aircraft, and specialized personnel, Exercise Grand African Nemo is a clear testament to the region’s commitment to countering piracy, smuggling, and illegal fishing.
This large-scale exercise aligns with a comprehensive strategy for maritime security under the Yaoundé Architecture, an interregional initiative established in 2013. The framework is designed to coordinate efforts across West and Central African countries, particularly focusing on the complex web of illicit activities that have plagued the Gulf of Guinea.
Spanning 6,000 kilometers along West and Central Africa, the Gulf of Guinea is a critical international trade route and a lifeline for regional economies, rich in oil, gas, fisheries, and other natural resources. However, its strategic position also makes it vulnerable to various maritime crimes, particularly piracy and armed robbery, illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, and trafficking in humans and illicit goods.
In recent years, the Gulf of Guinea has seen a concerning spike in piracy, with incidents accounting for over 90 percent of global kidnappings at sea. These crimes disrupt trade, harm economic stability, and pose significant security challenges for coastal communities. They also affect international stakeholders, given the gulf’s position along major shipping routes leading from Africa to Europe, Asia, and the Americas.
The Grand African Nemo exercise highlights regional dedication to addressing these threats and developing a cohesive strategy that bridges local, national, and international interests in preserving maritime security.
- Enhancing Interoperability
With forces from 28 countries working together, the exercise aimed to streamline communication protocols and operational tactics to improve coordinated responses. Interoperability between countries is critical for rapid, coordinated action in high-stakes situations like hijackings or cross-border smuggling. - Strengthening Information Sharing
Effective and secure channels for sharing intelligence allow timely responses to criminal activities. Information sharing ensures all participating nations have access to critical real-time data on potential or active threats. - Building Mutual Trust
Trust is essential for coalition operations, especially in the maritime domain, where joint efforts depend on reliable partnerships and alignment in goals and procedures. - Ensuring Maritime Safety and Security
Safeguarding coastal and offshore areas from piracy, smuggling, and illegal fishing enables the stability of both local economies and broader international trade. Maritime safety not only supports commerce but also protects marine biodiversity from illegal fishing and waste dumping. - Operations and Tactical Simulations
- Exercise Grand African Nemo integrated several high-risk scenarios to train and evaluate the response capabilities of naval forces in realistic, high-pressure environments. These included simulations involving piracy attacks on commercial vessels, interceptions of smuggling operations, and operations targeting illegal fishing.
- Anti-Piracy Drills
Piracy remains one of the gravest threats to the Gulf of Guinea. Simulated scenarios included a range of pirate attack types, such as boardings, hostage situations, and armed confrontations. This aspect of the exercise tested quick-response capabilities and coordination between vessels and aircraft. - Anti-Smuggling and Counter-Trafficking
Scenarios focused on smuggling often involved high-speed boats used by traffickers to evade detection and law enforcement. Exercises in this area aimed to improve interception techniques and gather intelligence on smuggling routes. Forces practiced identifying suspicious vessels and conducting searches that would lead to quick apprehension of smugglers while ensuring safety protocols. - IUU Fishing Operations
The third focus was on combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, which threatens both regional food security and economic stability. Training in this scenario involved identifying and interdicting vessels engaged in illegal fishing, boarding suspect vessels, and collecting evidence for prosecution. The exercises underscored the importance of sustainable fisheries management, an ongoing challenge that demands both enforcement and cross-border collaboration.
Several notable officials highlighted the importance of these efforts, including Ghana’s Chief of the Naval Staff, Issah Adam Yakubu, who emphasized the critical need for “effective information-sharing, interoperability, trust-building, and ensuring safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea and Zone F maritime space in particular.” Zone F, which covers the waters of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, and Ghana, has been a high-risk area and represents a focal point for the regional maritime security strategy.
Yakubu further acknowledged the contributions of international partners, including naval forces from the United States, the European Union, and others, who provide resources, expertise, and technical support. “These drills strengthen our joint capacity to act swiftly and decisively in the face of maritime threats,” Yakubu added, noting the importance of a unified approach to securing the Gulf of Guinea.
In addition, representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission expressed their support for these exercises as part of a larger plan for regional security under the Yaoundé Architecture.
In 2013, leaders from West and Central African states convened in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to develop a regional maritime security mechanism that has since become the bedrock of anti-crime efforts in the Gulf of Guinea. Known as the Yaoundé Architecture, this strategy divides the Gulf of Guinea into five operational zones, each coordinated by a Maritime Multinational Coordination Centre (MMCC).
The Yaoundé Architecture serves as both a deterrence and response framework by establishing protocols for rapid intervention and creating an interconnected security network for continuous surveillance and data sharing across national boundaries.
- Zone A: Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Congo-Brazzaville
- Zone D: Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and São Tomé and Príncipe
- Zone E: Benin, Nigeria, and Togo
- Zone F: Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d’Ivoire, and Ghana
- Zone G: Senegal, Cabo Verde, and Gambia
The zone-based system allows for concentrated efforts and specific strategies tailored to the unique challenges faced within each sector, all operating under an integrated framework that promotes synchronized response times and resource allocation.
The international community has shown significant interest in supporting maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea due to its strategic importance for global trade. Key partners, including the United States, the European Union, and regional powers, have provided funding, training, and resources to improve the capacity of West African navies.
These partnerships extend beyond just joint exercises like Grand African Nemo. Foreign nations have helped establish regional maritime awareness centers, provided surveillance technology, and offered specialized training programs for officers and maritime law enforcement.
In particular, the United States and the European Union have been active in capacity-building initiatives, supporting naval training programs and providing equipment to improve the effectiveness of African coastal navies. Additionally, several European countries have deployed vessels to patrol international waters around the Gulf of Guinea, aiming to reduce piracy incidents and improve overall maritime security.
Exercise Grand African Nemo underscores both the accomplishments and the challenges that remain in securing the Gulf of Guinea.
- Enhanced Operational Readiness
Participating navies demonstrated improved readiness and speed of response in high-stakes situations. The exercises have improved their ability to rapidly deploy and coordinate resources in response to real-time threats. - Strengthened Diplomatic and Military Ties
The exercise fostered cooperation and solidarity among Gulf of Guinea countries and their international allies, reinforcing trust and mutual commitment to maritime security. - Capacity for Long-Term Stability
The exercise laid a foundation for sustainable security through knowledge exchange, infrastructure development, and interregional cooperation. Strengthened national and regional frameworks enable West African nations to independently address maritime threats while maintaining strong partnerships with international allies.
While Exercise Grand African Nemo reflects progress in securing the Gulf of Guinea, experts caution that sustainable solutions will require continuous support, sustained funding, and adaptive strategies to address evolving threats. Furthermore, initiatives focused on addressing root causes of piracy and smuggling, such as poverty and lack of economic opportunity, must complement military and enforcement efforts.
