West Africa anti-piracy push faces cooperation hurdles

Significance

This comes amid continued piracy and attacks against vessels, the apparent ineffectiveness of current operational mechanisms and frustration and mutual mistrust between local actors and their international partners over how to combat the worsening problem.

Impacts

• Private-sector actors and other partners will require regional bodies to improve GoG surveillance before enhancing their cooperation.
• Stakeholders' lack of trust in the Cameroon-based Interregional Centre for Coordination (ICC) will hinder regional capacity building.
• Insecurity in the GoG is unlikely to decline markedly in the absence of improved multidimensional and multi-stakeholder engagement.