African Maritime Security Forum 

October 16, 2026 by Charles Smith

Strengthening African Response to Maritime Threats 

The first African Maritime Security Forum has been held in Accra under the theme “The African Maritime Landscape in Times of Geopolitical Uncertainty in 2026 and Beyond.” 

The two-day event was organised by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) with the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa (SIGLA) at Stellenbosch University and the Royal Danish Defence College. It formed part of the Danish Peace and Stabilisation Fund’s Maritime Security Programme for the Gulf of Guinea, covering 2022–2026.

The two-day gathering attracted 66 registered participants from 14 countries, including naval leaders, security practitioners, policymakers, academics and international partners to examine how cooperation, intelligence-sharing and sustained investment can protect Africa’s increasingly contested waters. Discussions explored how Africa can strengthen maritime governance while responding to threats that increasingly connect its coastal regions.

Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has declined significantly, but African maritime security leaders are warning against complacency. Falling attacks do not necessarily mean safer seas: geopolitical tensions, illicit activities and disruptions to international shipping are creating a more complex security environment for coastal states.

Sharing Spaces and Responses in the midst of governance gaps

Opening the forum, Ghana’s Minister for Defence, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

He described the sea as more than a national boundary or a route for commerce. It is a source of livelihoods, a strategic avenue for trade and a shared space whose security underpins national and regional prosperity.

The Minister cautioned that illicit activities along maritime routes can extend inland, cross borders and undermine several countries simultaneously. No state, he stressed, can address these challenges alone. “Our response must therefore be coordinated, intelligence-led and sustained by trust among nations,” he said. He urged participants to move beyond policy commitments towards practical measures that deliver security, confidence and prosperity for coastal communities.

Highlights from the forum

The forum acknowledged the decline in piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, attributing progress to collaborative regional initiatives, including the Yaoundé Architecture. The framework supports maritime security cooperation and coordination among countries in the region. Its contribution featured prominently in discussions about the value of sustained partnerships.

It also highlighted weaknesses that continue to limit effective maritime governance. Professor Theletsane, Director of the Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs of the Southern African Development Community, identified policy weaknesses, institutional fragmentation, inadequate political will and limited information-sharing as major obstacles. This assessment pointed to a central challenge: stronger institutions and better coordination must accompany operational successes if improvements are to endure.

Geopolitical Pressures Are Reshaping Maritime Priorities

Discussions at the forum extended beyond the Gulf of Guinea to examine the wider implications of geopolitical uncertainty for Africa. Attention was drawn to shipping disruptions in the Middle East, noting that vessel diversions placed additional pressure on maritime security.

The programme reflected this broader outlook. Sessions addressed African maritime agency, the spillover of conflict from land to sea, the role of BRICS+ in maritime diplomacy, the resurgence of piracy off Somalia and the implications of the “dark fleet” for African coastal states. 

Technology, Information and the Law

Technology and intelligence-sharing formed another major strand of the programme. Sessions examined autonomous systems and drones as potential force multipliers, alongside the legal questions raised by their deployment.

Discussions also covered information fusion, including Ghana’s National Maritime Fusion Centre and the Combined Maritime Task Force, as well as maritime chokepoints, cooperation among smaller groups of states and Africa’s role in shaping the future law of armed conflict at sea. Together, these topics highlighted the need to connect operational capability with legal clarity, institutional accountability and timely information exchange.

From a Regional Partnership to a Continental Platform

This new platform builds on annual maritime security conferences organised by the KAIPTC, the Royal Danish Defence College and the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa at Stellenbosch University from 2022. Initially centred on the Gulf of Guinea, the partnership subsequently widened its discussions to include the Red Sea and the implications of shipping disruptions for African coastal states.

This first African Maritime Security forum marked a further step towards a continental conversation, recognising that maritime threats and criminal networks do not remain confined to individual regions.

Implementation is the new test

The forum’s central message was clear; declining piracy is an achievement, but not a complete measure of maritime security. It is time to turn the dialogue into reliable intelligence-sharing, coordinated operations, stronger institutions and sustained investment. For coastal communities and states whose livelihoods and prosperity depend on the sea, success will ultimately be measured not by the number of commitments made in Accra, but by the practical improvements those commitments deliver.