Gulf of Guinea Focus: Week 24
- Agwe Global
- 14 hours ago
- 3 min read
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) has established a special chamber to hear a dispute between Ghana and Togo over the delimitation of their maritime boundary in the Gulf of Guinea, marking a major step in a case that follows years of unsuccessful bilateral negotiations.
In a press release issued on 12 June, the Hamburg-based tribunal said the chamber had been constituted to adjudicate the dispute after both countries agreed to transfer arbitral proceedings initiated by Ghana under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to a special chamber of the court.
Read more: https://asaaseradio.com/itlos-forms-special-chamber-to-hear-ghana-togo-maritime-boundary-dispute/
The flag-off of the Combined Maritime Task Force Gulf of Guinea (CMTF-GoG) in Lagos on June 1, 2026, marked a significant step in Africa’s efforts to tackle maritime insecurity through collective action. With six pioneer member states — Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone — joining forces under a standing collaborative framework, the initiative reflects a growing commitment to securing the Gulf of Guinea, protecting maritime trade and advancing the continent’s blue economy through African-led solutions. Chiemelie Ezeobi reports
The flag-off of the Combined Maritime Task Force Gulf of Guinea (CMTF-GoG) in Lagos on June 1, 2026, may well be remembered as one of the most significant maritime security milestones on the African continent in recent years.
The Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), through its Regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Centre (RMCSC), actively participated in the Main Planning Conference for Exercise Grand African NEMO 2026. The five-day conference was held from 1 to 5 June 2026 in Brest, France
The conference brought together the French Navy Commander in Chief for the Atlantic (CECLANT) personnel, representatives of the Yaoundé Maritime Security Architecture, delegates from 19 Gulf of Guinea navies and coast guards, and several regional and international partner organizations.
Maritime risk rarely moves in isolation. This week’s Maritime Intelligence Brief tracks two very different, but strategically significant, patterns of activity affecting commercial operators.
In the western Indian Ocean, Somali piracy activity has increased sharply through the first half of 2026. After years of relative suppression, Pirate Action Groups are showing renewed confidence, with recent approaches and attacks shifting towards the Gulf of Aden and Yemeni coastal waters.
Recent incidents have involved aggressive skiff approaches, small-arms fire and, in one case, an RPG fired towards a tanker. No successful boarding was confirmed in the latest reporting period, but the tempo, geographic spread and tactics being observed point to a more active threat environment for slower or less-protected vessels.
Read more: https://sweetcrudereports.com/resurgent-piracy-and-grey-zone-pressure-reshape-maritime-risk/
Nigeria and Cameroon have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bilateral defence cooperation, aimed at enhancing security along their shared southern border and boosting maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday in Yaoundé by Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), and Cameroon’s Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Defence, Mr. Joseph Assomo. It followed two days of detailed discussions between defence and security experts from both nations.
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