The Chiefs of Naval Staff of ECOWAS member countries met in Accra, Ghana to strengthen the Combined Mari!me Opera!onal Force (CMTF) in the face of growing threats in the Gulf of Guinea.
It was during the 5th ordinary mee!ng of the Sub-Commi#ee of the Chiefs of the Navy of the Navy held in Accra from February 18 to 20, 2026. Discussions focused on concrete implementa!on measures, including resource mobiliza!on, joint patrols, improved communica!on and informa!on sharing.
Represen!ng the Chief of Staff of the Ghanaian Navy, Rear Admiral Godwin Livinus Bessing, the commander of the Western Naval Zone, Commodore Samuel Ayelazono, called for increased determina!on and collabora!on for the protec!on of the Gulf of Guinea.
He acknowledged the progress made under the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, which has contributed to the reduc!on of piracy through regional coopera!on, but stressed that threats such as illegal fishing, drug and arms trafficking, and marine pollu!on persist. He urged members to remain proac!ve and avoid any relaxa!on.
On behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, the Commissioner for Poli!cal Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fatau Musah, stressed at the end of the mee!ng the urgency for the ECOWAS Commission to maintain close and sustained collabora!on with Member States in order to strengthen the regional mari!me security architecture in West Africa.
It should be noted that at the mee!ng, the Commi#ee of Chiefs of Staff of ECOWAS welcomed the progress made since the adop!on of the ECOWAS Integrated Mari!me Strategy, including the conduct of Opera!on SAFE DOMAIN in Zone E, Opera!on ANOUANZE in Zone F and joint mari!me patrols in Zone G of the MMCC.
Emphasis was placed on the need for broader security coopera!on to combat terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, the importance of be#er coordina!on with landlocked countries such as Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to combat terrorism and other forms of transna!onal organized crime.
source : koaci
