By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, April 16, GNA—Air Commodore David Anetey Akrong, Deputy Commandant, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), has asked stakeholders to implement long term and sustainable solutions to effectively address transnational organised crimes.
He also urged them to combine efforts and foster a greater degree of cooperation at all levels to combat the threats posed by such crimes.
The Deputy Commandant said this on Monday at the opening ceremony of a 2-week Course on Maritime Security and Transnational Organised Crime in Accra.
The Course, being sponsored by the German Government, will train 24 participants from Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Republic of Congo, Gambia, Senegal, Nigeria and Liberia.
Participants were drawn from the Ghana Armed Forces, Ghana Police Service, Ghana Immigration Service, Ghana Prisons Service, Customs Division of GRA, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Fisheries Commission, Narcotics Control Commission, National Boundary Commission, Volta Lake Transport Company, Gulf of Guinea Maritime Institute and some media personnel.
Air Commodore Akrong said aside imparting knowledge, the Course would help regional and national players to build stronger professional relationships to share information, collaborate more effectively, and respond quickly to new threats.
“We have put together a team of highly skilled facilitators who will share with you their knowledge, insights, and experiences in the field of maritimesecurity.”
“The objective is for you to leave the KAIPTC with substantial maritimeknowledge and experience that will improve how well you carry out your responsibilities,” he said.
He said the Gulf of Guinea region remained a hotbed of transnational organised crimes, especially maritime piracy.
The Deputy Commandant said current threats to maritime security in the region, which included armed robbery of ships at sea, illicit oil bunkering, kidnapping for ransom and the trafficking of people, narcotics and weapons, thrived on weaknesses of key institutions.
He said despite the general reduction in cases of maritime piracy incidents in the Gulf of Guinea in recent years, concerns were raised about the resurgence of maritime piracy and armed robbery in the International Maritime Bureau’s 2023 mid-year report on the region.
Air Commodore Akrong said by stepping up capacity building, information sharing, coordination, cooperation and collaboration amongst stakeholders, the concerning trend could be reversed.
Ms Pauline Okkens, German Political Advisor, said Germany favoured a regional approach to crisis prevention and conflict management on the African continent and Sub-Saharan Africa in particular.
She said the main emphasis of the German Government’s partnership with KAIPTC over the years was to support the creation and execution of need-based training programmes.
Ms Okkens said the partnership was in keeping with the German Government’s goal of assisting ECOWAS, the African Union, and its member states to build the capacity of critical maritime security actors, which included law enforcement officials, military personnel, police officers, citizens from both state-affiliated organisations, and non-state actors.
She said they would continue to provide the KAIPTC with the necessary support to train military, police and civilian men and women.
The Political Advisor encouraged participants to take the opportunities the course offered seriously and share their knowledge and experiences with their colleagues.
GNA