EU, African countries launch security project for Gulf of Guinea

European countries and some West African coastal countries on Friday launched Gulf of Guinea Inter-regional network (GoGIN) project to improve safety and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea here in the capital Lome.

The project has an overall budget of 9.3 million Euros and covers 19 countries of Gulf of Guinea, from Senegal to Angola.

Its initial actions are focused on a pilot area comprising countries from Togo to Gabon.

GoGIN, with 7.5 million Euro from European Commission and 1.785 million Euros from Denmark, will last 48 months and is expected to start by end November this year.

The launching of the project occurs in the sidelines of the African Union summit expected to adopt, on 15 October, the Charter on maritime security, safety and development in Africa, here in the capital Lome.

The co-financed project is mainly purposed to contribute to improving safety and maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea.

It will support the establishment of an effective and technically efficient regional information sharing network.

Furthermore, GoGIN is designed to improve regional capacity for dialogue, coordination and strategic management in the marine field.

All these will be achieved through the implementation of concrete activities in the development of inter-sectorial coordination capacities as well as of inter-regional maritime steering and dialogue.

Expertise France, a French international technical cooperation operator, implements the project in permanent coordination with regional organizations and beneficiary countries. Endit