Western Indian Ocean

The return of Somali piracy. Safeseas contributes to joint statement

by

Somali pirates show increasing activity, implying a growing threat to international shipping. This presents a situation in which piracy is no longer suppressed in the region. On the 29th of January the Indian Ocean Commission issued a statement and call for action that SafeSeas contributed to along with the two centers of the MASE architecture. … Read more

Somali pirates are back in action. A strong global response is needed

by

by Christian Bueger With the military escalation in the Red Sea caused by the Houthi attacks on merchant vessels and ongoing coercion by Iran, the Western Indian Ocean seems further away than ever from its self-declared goal to be a region of peace and prosperity. Growing maritime insecurity is also fed by the persistence of … Read more

Can the new contact group add value in the Western Indian Ocean? 4 scenarios

by

by Christian Bueger In early 2022 a subtle, but substantial shift took place in the Western Indian Ocean’s security architecture: The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (known as CGPCS) closed shop. The CGPCS had been an instrumental part in containing piracy off the Coast of Somalia. Since its installation in 2009 … Read more

New article – how to improve the maritime security architecture in the Western Indian Ocean

by

Professor Christian Bueger and Dr. Jan Stockbruegger have conducted a review of the current security situation in the Western Indian Ocean. The study is published in African Security Review. They show which insecurities are on the rise and argue that the rise of geopolitical concerns increasingly produces a militarization dilemma: foreign naval forces are needed … Read more

Securing Africa’s Maritime Future. Event in Copenhagen

by

SafeSeas is organising an event in cooperation with the University of Copenhagen to discuss “Securing Africa’s Maritime Future”.  The event will be a conversation with Timothy Walker (Institute for Security Studies, South Africa) & Mark Blaine (South African Navy & University of Stellenbosch).

Read more

Maritime Security in Kenya

by

This working paper provides a primer to the SAFE SEAS case study of the maritime security sector in Kenya drawing on elements of the SPIP methodology. It examines the maritime spaces of Kenya, the problems, and challenges facing these spaces as well as the existing legal, policy and institutional frameworks for tackling these problems. Read … Read more