Focus on the Yaoundé Architecture
On 24 and 25 June 2013, the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and the Gulf of Guinea Commission (GGC) was held in Yaoundé, Republic of Cameroon, for the adoption of strategic documents on maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea, as part of the implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2039 (2012).
At this summit, the Heads of State and Government :
- Adopted the Code of Conduct on the Prevention and Suppression of Acts of Piracy, Armed Robbery, against Ships and other Illicit Activities carried out at sea in Central and West Africa, signed in Summit by the Ministers of Central and West African States ;
- Have adopted the Memorandum of Understanding between ECCAS, ECOWAS and GGC on security and safety in the maritime area of Central and West Africa, signed in Summit by the ECCAS Secretary-General, the ECOWAS Commission President and the GGC Executive Secretary ;
- Adopted and signed a Declaration on Security and Safety in their common maritime area, called “ Yaounde Declaration”.
This set of instruments inspired the elaboration of the Yaoundé Architecture, illustrated by the diagram below.
The maritime safety and security structure, inspired by the acts of Yaoundé, is composed of the Interregional Coordination Center (ICC), a body for the coordination that establishes a junction between the Central Africa Regional Maritime Security Centre (CRESMAC) and West Africa Regional Maritime Security Centre (CRESMAO).
Under the responsibility of a director appointed in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding of Yaoundé, the ICC main tasks are to:
– coordinate regional marine safety and security responses;
– facilitate the exchange of information between national navies;
– promote the harmonization of texts implementing maritime law, in particular those relating to the fight against piracy;
– Build the capacity of civilian and military personnel in both regions.
Each regional economic community has operational maritime zones whose activities are coordinated within the Multinational Coordination Centers (MCC). The CRESMAC and CRESMAO respectively cover two and three MCCs, representing the number of operational maritime zones under their governance.
The CRESMAC covers two maritime zones:
– Zone D, with the MCC located in Douala, composed of Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea and Sao Tome and Principe;
– Zone A, whose MCC facility is planned for Angola (Luanda) and is not yet operational, includes Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Congo (for coastal states).
The CRESMAO covers three maritime zones:
– Zone E, with the MCC located in Cotonou, Benin, composed of Nigeria, Togo, Benin and Niger;
– Zone F, partially operational, with the MCC facility in Accra, Ghana, includes Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Burkina Faso.
– Zone G, whose MCC facility is planned for Praia (Cape Verde) and is not yet operational, includes Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Cape Verde and Mali.
On a national level, it is expected that a Maritime Operations Center (MOC) which must bring together, in addition to the national navy that will ensure coordination, the major players of the State’s action at sea; in particular: maritime police, customs, fishing and environmental protection.
Research and rewriting Pascaline ODOUDOUROU
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