Mozambique has issued a firm call in Kenya for closer cooperation between African countries to combat maritime piracy and stop the illegal fishing that continues to threaten the continent's resources. The position was presented during the Africa-France Summit, which has been under way in Nairobi since Monday, and placed at the centre of the debate the need to protect Africa's seas and secure funding for the so-called blue economy.
It was the Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Roberto Mito Albino, who took the Mozambican message to the international meeting. Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the event, the minister called for the creation of joint mechanisms capable of responding to the threats multiplying along the African coast.
“We advocate greater cooperation between African countries and also at regional level, first of all to create mechanisms to defend our seas against piracy, unreported fishing and illegal fishing,” he said.
The minister also revealed that Mozambique is preparing to inaugurate, “very soon”, a joint command centre of SADC, the Southern African Development Community. As he explained, the structure is part of the regional effort to strengthen maritime surveillance and coordinate responses to illegal activities in the waters of the south of the continent.
But Mozambique's intervention went beyond maritime security. Roberto Mito Albino also insisted on the need to create dedicated financial instruments to support the blue economy in Africa, arguing that the sector needs greater recognition from international financial institutions.
“We also discussed the need for funding for the blue economy and argued that it must have visibility in international financial institutions,” the minister declared, adding that Mozambique proposes the creation of an African fund aimed specifically at financing this strategic sector.
The aim, he explained, is to enable less developed countries to have access to the financial resources they need to carry out their strategic plans for the sustainable use of the seas, fishing, marine conservation and coastal development.
The organisers of the Africa-France Summit consider that the meeting represents an opportunity to redefine relations between Africa and its international partners. According to the official statement, the meeting seeks to promote “a more balanced, equitable and mutually respectful partnership”, based on multilateralism, sustainable development and a stronger African role in the face of emerging global challenges.
