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Denmark in Gulf of Guinea to protect multi-billion dollars investments in maritime in Africa
While addressing journalists at Tema port as part of her two-day visit to Ghana, Ms Frederiksen expressed the need to intensify the fight against piracy.
“What took place on Wednesday shows how important it is that we work together on security issues.
The country, whose one of its companies, AP Moller has one of the biggest stakes in the Shipping business in Nigeria, has launched a $ 7 million programme in 2018, focusing on Ghana and Nigeria despite being part of the European Union’s Gulf of Guinea Inter-regional Network (GoGIN) programme on regional coordination in West Africa.This year, Denmark appointed a special representative for maritime security and added $ 1.5 million to the programme which will finance maritime training facilities for customs, police, tax, immigration and fishery authorities to increase interagency coordination.
It is expected to enhance the two countries abilities to capture and for Nigeria also to prosecute pirates and implement piracy law which Denmark provided support for drafting.
Ghana and Nigeria house the two biggest ports for Danish shipping companies apart from proximity to pirate attacks and anti-piracy collaborations.
According to Ms Frederiksen, Denmark is interested in helping others and will, directly and indirectly, be involved in securing the region working closely with Ghana.
“We have been working together for many years in many areas but now different aspects of security are higher on our common agenda,” she said.The European nation will from next year begin a 5-year programme covering Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin and Nigeria building on previous engagements.
The $ 26.5 million programme will support United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC) and Interpol in their operation to improve national and regional agencies’ capacities.
Through the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), the programme will also facilitate convening dialogue and develop the capacity of navies and Special Forces.
The Prime Minister accompanied by the opposition leader from the Liberal Party, Jakob Ellemann-Jensen interacted with the management of Meridian Port Services in Ghana.
Before her engagement at the Tema port, Mette Frederiksen visited Christianborg Castle in Accra which also houses the Ecowas Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre for Zone “F” which comprises Ghana, Coast d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Burkina Faso.
The entourage from Denmark visited Ghana as part of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Growing insecurity in the Gulf of Guinea has challenged countries in the region and their international partners to up their game in tackling it.
The region continues to remain a hotbed for piracy which threatens peace and security as well as international trade.
In 2020, 95% of all kidnappings at sea is said to have happened in the Gulf of Guinea which has about 40 Denmark merchant ships using the route daily.
Incidents of piracy in the first nine months of 2021 are the lowest reported in 17 years.
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