Collaborating to improve maritime security in East Africa
Regional maritime engagement
Regional maritime security issues were discussed at the end of June when leaders from Madagascar, Mauritius and Tanzania met with the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 to establish shared goals.
Hosting the discussions, Royal Canadian Navy Capt Colin Matthews, commander of CTF 150, spoke about the importance of information sharing and exchanging knowledge and best practices to address shared regional maritime security issues, including illicit trafficking and unregulated fishing.
Throughout the engagements the common theme that arose was the importance of collaborating with likeminded nations to improve regional maritime security.
“These visits have been a valuable step in growing the relationship between the Combined Maritime Forces and our partners in Eastern Africa,” Matthews said. “We all have the same common goal: improving our ability to interdict illicit cargo in the region and, ultimately, to contribute to regional maritime security.”
CTF 150 is one of five task forces under CMF, the world’s largest international naval partnership. CTF 150’s mission is to deter and disrupt the ability of non-state actors to move weapons, drugs and other illicit substances in the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman.
Combined Maritime Forces is a 44-nation naval partnership upholding the international rules-based order by promoting security and stability across 3.2 million square miles of water encompassing some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
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