Strengthening maritime security

Safe Seas Africa Programme

MAURITIUS: Mauritius has announced that they will establish a maritime coordination centre supported by the launch of the Safe Seas Africa (SSA) programme which will provide capacity-building and equipment to respond to maritime threats.

The announcement was made last week by the Secretary for Home Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office, Doreen Fong Weng-Poorun in Port Louis who was speaking at the launching ceremony of the SSA Programme during the first Steering Committee.

This first Steering Committee brings together representatives from international maritime organisations and the African Union as well as key international partners.

The SSA programme, funded by the EU to the tune of 15.8 million euros, aims to strengthen maritime security in East Africa and the Indian Ocean. It is coordinated by the IOC and jointly implemented by the International Maritime Organisation, the International Criminal Police Organisation and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

SSA is a continuation of the Maritime Security (MASE) programme, which enabled the establishment of a regional architecture for maritime security.

In her keynote address Fong Weng-Poorun pointed out that the launching of the SSA programme is a testament of shared commitments to secure sustainable seas across the Indian Ocean, increasingly threatened by piracy, illegal drug trafficking and fishing and environmental hazards. She indicated that the programme builds directly on the foundation laid by the MASE programme which started as a response to several maritime threats.

Fong Weng-Poorun extended gratitude to the EU as well as to regional and international partners for their continued confidence in Mauritius. She also thanked key international partners such as India, the United States, Australia and Japan for playing an important role in improving the regional maritime security architecture.

Furthermore, she reiterated that maritime security remains a priority for Mauritius as mentioned by the Prime Minister, Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam in his speech at the fifth IOC Summit in Madagascar. She called for improved multi-agency approach for enhanced maritime safety in the wake of complex challenges.

PHOTO: Secretary for Home Affairs at the Prime Minister’s Office, Doreen Fong Weng-Poorun, Oskar Benedikt Ambassador of the European Union and Raj Mohabeer of the Indian Ocean Commission.