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The Gulf of Guinea is framed by 6 000 km of west African coastline, from Senegal to Angola. Its sea basin is an important resource for fisheries and is part of a key sea route for the transport of goods between central and southern Africa and the rest of the world. Its geo-political and geo-economic importance has grown since it has become a strategic hub in global and regional energy trade. Every day, nearly 1 500 fishing vessels, cargo ships and tankers navigate its waters. The security of this ...

La sécurité maritime du continent africain est compromise par une grande variété d’activités illégales. Le présent document est axé sur la piraterie maritime et les vols à main armée en mer et examine les aspects juridiques ainsi que les conséquences sociétales de ces formes de violence. La piraterie maritime et les vols à main armée au large des côtes africaines constituent également une menace pour la sécurité et l’économie de l’Union européenne. Depuis 2008, l’Union met en œuvre une stratégie ...

Harnessing the oceans' resources in a sustainable manner is the 'new frontier of the African renaissance', according to the African Union (AU). This 'blue growth' will only materialise if the oceans' health and security at sea are restored. For this purpose, the AU has designed an ambitious maritime strategy, but disagreements among the African states are hampering its realisation. The EU could support this strategy, provided cooperation goes beyond security and migration aspects.

As a security actor, Nigeria provides a contrasting picture. While the country has asserted its role as a major security player in western Africa and on the African continent, where it has taken part in numerous peace operations; at home, its security forces have had difficulty tackling multiple internal security threats, including terrorism, sectarian conflicts and local insurgencies.

Les régions ultrapériphériques de l'Union européenne, dont La Réunion, sont d'importants fournisseurs de produits de la mer pour les Européens. En outre, la pêche joue un rôle de premier plan pour l'économie des régions insulaires. Ces territoires isolés font face à des difficultés spécifiques quant à leur développement économique en raison de leur situation géographique et de l'éventail limité d'activités dont ils peuvent tirer un avantage concurrentiel. La modification récente de la politique de ...

The violence that has engulfed South Sudan since mid-December 2013 and the neighbouring countries' reactions to the bloodshed largely reflect the dynamics underlying the East African region. Whilst many countries in the region enjoy abundant natural resources (including oil) and / or have recorded strong economic growth, they have failed to bring about structural transformations or to spur sustainable development. Among the many obstacles preventing East Africa from fulfilling its full potential, ...

As piracy off Africa has become a global security issue, the need for the European Union (EU) to protect its interests at sea through a maritime dimension to its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) has also been recognised.

The global maritime security environment is in the midst of an important transformation, driven by a simultaneous intensification of global maritime flows, the growing interconnectedness of maritime regions, the diffusion of maritime power to emerging powers, and the rise of a number of maritime non-state actors. These changes are having a profound impact on the maritime security environment of the EU and its member states and require an upgrading of the maritime dimension of the EU’s Common Security ...

SSR activities are key for stabilizing fragile and post-conflict states through their emphasis on training, institutional reform and governance. The EU has engaged in aspects of SSR for the past decade through its CFSP/CSDP as well as development and enlargement policies. The recently launched CSDP missions in the Horn of Africa take place in a new institutional context, and address European security concerns in a fragile but geopolitically important region. The EU’s engagement with SSR in general ...

Maritime piracy around Somalia is costing billions and hurting global trade. In the context of one of the world's poorest countries, international responses have not been completely effective.