African, International Maritime forces strengthen sector’s governance.
Exercise Obangame Express 2024 concluded successfully in Libreville, Gabon, with the participation of thirty-two nations. Over a two-week period, collaborative training sessions were conducted along Africa’s West Coast and the Gulf of Guinea.
Obangame Express serves as a platform for participating navies to enhance communication, both ship-to-shore and between maritime operation centers (MOCs), through realistic training scenarios aimed at improving the maritime security environment. These efforts contribute to creating a more secure, safe, and economically prosperous maritime domain.
Throughout the 13th iteration of the exercise, partner and ally forces worked together to enhance collective maritime law enforcement capabilities, bolster national and regional security in West Africa, and promote greater interoperability among American, African, and multinational partners.
The exercise commenced with an opening ceremony at the Cadet School of Libreville, attended by Gabonese Defense Minister Major General Brigitte Onkanowa, U.S. Ambassador to Gabon Vernelle Trim FitzPatrick, and Director of Strategic Effects for U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) Rear Adm. Michael Mattis. FitzPatrick emphasized the crucial role played by the Republic of Gabon and other African partners in strengthening maritime governance and security, vital for the economic prosperity of a region where over 90 percent of trade occurs by sea.
The exercise included a robust program of land-based and at-sea events across a vast operating area. Gabon served as the primary hub for exercise command and control, with Nigerian Navy Captain Adagogo Jaja leading the Exercise Control Group (ECG). Jaja’s leadership facilitated collaboration and coordination among participants, benefiting from streamlined communications across nations and zones.
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The maritime scenarios undertaken by a flotilla of naval assets focused on countering piracy, illegal fishing, and trafficking activities. Search and rescue operations, refueling, shiphandling, and maneuvering evolutions were also conducted. These events took place within the five zones of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct, a foundational maritime security initiative in the West and Central African region.
Approximately 5,000 personnel from 32 participating nations engaged in 108 scenarios during the exercise. Representatives from the Yaoundé Code of Conduct infrastructure, including the Interregional Coordination Center (ICC) in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and regional centers for maritime security, also participated, highlighting the exercise’s broad impact and collaboration across the region.
