Military and civilian experts and security stakeholders from the Central African Sub-region and United States of America (USA), are examining ways and means of heightening cooperation to tackle the rising wave of air and maritime piracy, drug trafficking, hostage-taking and other acts of insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea and the entire Central African Sub-region. The reflection is within the framework of a three-day workshop organised by the Cameroon Chapter of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies and the United States of America Embassy in Yaounde.
The Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Jean-Baptiste Bokam, while opening the Yaounde workshop said increasing security threats in the Gulf of Guinea were of major concern to Cameroon government. He represented the Defence Minister, Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o. The Secretary of State called for total sub-regional, regional and international cooperation to fight the cankerworm.
The U.S. Ambassador to Cameroon, Robert P. Jackson in an interview said cooperation was needed to protect the interest of all in the Gulf of Guinea. He recommended that security be examined in a broader sense.
The Defence Attaché at the US Embassy in Yaounde, Lieutenant Colonel Scott Morgan said the Cameroon chapter of the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS-Cameroon) with about 40 civilian and military members, was one of the largest in Central and West Africa. He cited the ways the Center has supported Cameroon, stating that its Cameroon chapter was a strong and supportive audience that can help improve the communication process between the U.S. Embassy, not only with the Ministry of Defence but also with other government security stakeholders.
The three -day security workshop ends today at the Yaounde War College in Simbock. Major themes being discussed include cooperative management of trans-border resources in Central Africa; problems or solutions and maritime piracy in Africa with focus on piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and the Gulf of Aden.
