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

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

Ideaslab on the new maritime security strategy of the UK

Following up on our work with the UK government on refreshing the maritime security strategy, SafeSeas organized a one day workshop discussing the challenges linked to implementing the strategy. The workshop was organized in partnership with the University of Bristol, the UK Department of Transport and Joint Maritime Security Centre. The event was held under … Read more

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

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

Maritime Security in Ghana: The next steps

Tackling maritime insecurity in order to enhance the blue economy, restore ocean health, but also to strengthen blue justice, continues to be one of the major challenges for today’s governments. Much attention is being paid to these ocean challenges in countries across the African continent. For outside observers, Ghana has emerged as an African role … Read more

Jersey fishing dispute: why the UK sent in the navy and how to resolve the spat

By Scott Edwards & Tim Edmunds. Article originally published in The Conversation On the morning of Thursday 6 May, French fishers threatened to blockade Jersey’s main port of St Helier, following a threat by French maritime minister Annick Girardin to cut off the island’s electricity supply. Both countries sent maritime patrol vessels to the area, … Read more

Submarine Data Cables: New article

More then 90 per cent of the worlds communication travels through the global submarine data cable network. Although this is a vital infrastructure we know relatively little about how the network works, how cables are protected and what forms of global politics they are part of.  Since 2020 SafeSeas participates in the DACANE project which … Read more