Maritime Security Challenges in Africa

This book aims to (a) examine the occurrence and repercussions of insecurity on Africa's oceans and seas; (b) examine their impact on state sovereignty and national security; (c) examine their effect on the economy of states and societies on the African continent and international political economy; and (c) study how these scourges could be moderated, eradicated, or combated. Maritime security is generally and primarily associated with piracy in the world's oceans. But it is expansive and broader than that. In addition to piracy, it refers to extralegal activities such as illegal fishing, kidnapping, human trafficking, smuggling, pollution and erosion, terrorism, and so forth that occur not only in the world's oceans but also in regional seas, rivers and ports. While many countries have measures to combat maritime insecurity, inter-governmental organizations such as the International Maritime Organization (IMO) support and logistics for implementing the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea. There is also the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), also called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea Treaty.