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AU official urges measures to counter maritime menaces facing Africa

Xinhua, October 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Chairman of the AU Executive Council Moussa Faki Mahamat said on Thursday that the African maritime space, which sees 90 percent of the imports and exports of the continent, is seriously threatened and urges a collective solution.

"It is a cause of great concern that besides increasing insecurity on the mainland as a result of armed conflict, terrorism, climate change and so on, another danger takes off at a wide scale in the maritime zone", he explained.

The maritime zone menace emerges with piracy, gun violence, human, weapons and drug trafficking coupled with illegal fishing, pollution, natural disasters, among others, according to him .

"In the face of the multiplicity and the complexity of all menaces to the maritime zone, Africa must consider global and collective solution", Mahamat said.

He underscored that the contemplated solution is included in the draft of the Lome Charte that is expected to be adopted on October 15 in Togolese capital Lome, where the African Union convenes a summit on maritime security, safety and development. Endit