Gene Gregorio’s Post

Thank you Tshegofatso Johanna Ramachela for the piece, insightful and elucidative. The document discusses the escalating tensions between Somalia and Ethiopia over the lease of Berbera Port, highlighting the broader regional and maritime security implications. It delves into the historical context, including past conflicts and the role of external actors, to understand current dynamics. The deal between Somaliland and Ethiopia for port access has deteriorated Somalia-Ethiopia relations, raising concerns over regional stability. The brief also examines the strategic significance of East Africa's maritime space and the complex geopolitical landscape, suggesting the need for dialogue and strategic forethought to manage the dispute and its implications for regional unity and security. A worth reading piece for a local perspective.

𝗣𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝗦𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗘𝗖𝗢𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘆 Dr. Omar Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission, announced a significant reduction in piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea, attributing this success to the efforts of the Inter-regional Coordination Centre (ICC). Speaking at the 4th Annual Meeting of ICC Heads of Institution, Touray highlighted key achievements, including the development of National Maritime Strategies, improved maritime situational awareness, and the establishment of several regional maritime security centers. He also acknowledged support from international partners like the EU and the German and Chinese governments. Touray cited data from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) showing a decline in piracy incidents, from 31 in 2015 to 15 in 2022, and further down to 6 attacks in the first quarter of 2024. Despite this progress, challenges such as staff recruitment, irregular funding, and essential service breakdowns persist. He emphasized the need for continued review and concrete steps to address these issues, including turning the Code of Conduct on maritime security into a legally binding agreement. The ICC governing body was urged to review new initiatives like the EU's 'Safe Seas' project and the Yaoundé Architecture Regional Information Sharing (YARIS) tool. Jose Abeso, Executive Secretary of the Gulf of Guinea Commission, echoed the need for harmonized laws against maritime criminal activities and called for regional cooperation to ensure maritime security. DD GRAND SERVICES LIMITED expressed its satisfaction with these improvements, recognizing the positive impact on maritime safety and security, and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting efforts that contribute to a safer maritime environment. #MaritimeSecurity #PiracyPrevention #SafetyAtSea #OilandGas #gulfofguinea #DDGrandServicesLimited

The terms “#hybridthreats” and “#greyzone” have been used with increasing regularity over the past few decades to describe a variety of actions that have taken place at #sea. David Letts explores State actions, particularly in the #SouthChinaSea, where powers like #China use ambiguity to mask the legal nature of their operations, such as building and militarizing artificial islands. He explains that States often exploit legal vulnerabilities to gain advantages without resorting to open #warfare. Such challenges to accepted legal norms in the maritime domain will continue to be commonplace for the foreseeable future. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g28cJxjF #ArticlesofWar

UNU-CPR Director David Passarelli and Head of Conflict Prevention and Sustaining Peace Erica Gaston had the privilege of meeting with H. E. Philemon Yang, President of the General Assembly at its 79th Session. The discussion centred on "Assembly for Peace", a handbook that aims to enhance the UN General Assembly's engagement in peace and security efforts, produced by UNU-CPR for the Office of the President of the General Assembly, United Nations. Amid rising geopolitical tensions and increased paralysis in the Security Council, the General Assembly’s role in peace and security has gained renewed attention. The Handbook offers a review of the Assembly's past practice, case studies of some of the most important examples of General Assembly action, and recommendations on how Member States could foster deeper interaction with the Security Council in the future. Access "Assembly for Peace" here: https://lnkd.in/e_6mEsfg The discussion also addressed the revitalization agenda of the General Assembly and ongoing debates on reforming the international financial architecture.

We're excited to launch a new monthly #geopolitical insights report and subscription opportunity with Poligage Expert Lee Slusher, who is known for challenging conventional wisdom on geopolitical issues. In his April report, Lee examines the difficult issues of maritime security in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, due mainly to accelerating attacks by the #Houthis, and what options are available to policymakers and other stakeholders on this issue to address the resulting instability.

Our latest report into the latest updates in the Israel/Palestine conflict examines the latest developments in the ongoing conflict, including the impact on international diplomacy and ongoing political developments. We are committed to providing a factual, non-biased view of current events. To read our latest report, click here: https://hubs.li/Q02G3tLv0

Recent crises have demonstrated that maritime security is essential for #international stability and #Europe's prosperity. This dossier examines the challenges to the maritime order and the #governance and capabilities needed to address them, emphasizing the role of both state and non-state actors in shaping the global order at #sea. ISPI Dossier: https://bit.ly/3KDgA5v

It is my pleasure to announce the publication of our new article "Maritime security and the inter-agency challenge: The case of Ghana." This piece, co-authored with Humphrey Asamoah, Christian Bueger, and Stephanie Lolk Larsen explores the concept of “interagency coordination," it’s core elements and argue that inter-agency coordination is a veritable governance problem-solving tool. Drawing from the case of Ghana, we looked at the interagency coordination framework in the country’s maritime space with a focus on maritime security – at the heart of which is the Ghana Maritime Authority. We find that although inter-agency coordination is expected to deliver effective maritime security responses and governance, that is being undermined by factors that are intrinsic to the inter-agency coordination environment including competition, power imbalance and the quest for agency autonomy. To enhance maritime security in Ghana, these obstacles must be addressed. We believe the paper offers valuable insights for not only academics and researchers but a range of actors including policymakers and maritime security practitioners. Check out the full article here:

Check out my latest paper for Global and National Security Institute (GNSI): a Decision Brief on Maritime Resiliency in the Red Sea. In it, I analyze the current challenges in the region and draw comparisons with two historical cases—the War of Oil Tankers in the Persian Gulf during the 1980s and piracy in the Strait of Malacca in the 2000s.