African Union maritime security summit eyes piracy fighting

The African Union summit on maritime security in Togolese capital Lome stands as a framework for coastal countries to strengthen the fight against piracy, a high official of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa on Tuesday said.

"African Union brings together once again, through the Lome summit, coastal States to strengthen the fight against piracy along the coastline of the continent", Prof. Martin Ndende said.

The private law and criminal science professor in Nantes University, France, noted that African communities have legal instruments for cooperation and inter-community strategy for maritime security in the gulf of Guinea.

Ndende is taking part in the African Union summit that launched its side events on Monday and is expected to yield, on October 15, the Lome Charter on maritime security and safety as well as on development in Africa.

These events include debate on topics such as maritime piracy and illegal trafficking, the blue economy, the challenge of maritime security and safety, maritime governance and exchanges at judiciary as well as police levels.

African heads of States and heads of governments are expected at an extraordinary session of the African Union on Oct. 15 in Lome to adopt the contemplated charter.

Gulf of Guinea in West Africa has become the new zone of piracy acts, after the Aden Gulf during the last few years. Endit