Two activities organised under the EU-funded SEACOP V were implemented in Dakar last week.
A 5-day training on maritime intelligence.
Organised for 15 agents, non-commissioned officers and officers of maritime intelligence units from 4 West African countries, the training was attended by 5 participants from Senegal, 4 from Ivory Coast, 3 from Togo and 3 from Benin.
Its objective? To strengthen the Maritime Intelligence Units (MIU) set up or about to be set up in these countries with the support of the SEACOP project. In particular, the aim is to provide participants with the necessary tools for processing maritime information in order to support the Joint Maritime Control Units (JMCU) with reliable intelligence for profiling and targeting suspect vessels.
The training was delivered by three experts from the Maritime Analysis Operation Centre-Narcotics in Lisbon (MAOC-N), the Regional Maritime Security Institute in Abidjan and the French Customs.
A mentoring session dedicated to the control (search) of commercial vessels to reinforce the Joint Maritime Control Unit (JMCU).
Facilitated by an expert from the French Customs Coast Guard, it is also an opportunity to encourage the setting up of maritime information sharing networks at national and regional level.
Its objective? To strengthen the knowledge of the agents of the JMCU of Dakar and the Maritime Subdivision of Customs in the field of ship search.
The JMCUs are multi-agency units comprising representatives from the police, gendarmerie, customs, national navy, port authorities, coastguard services that deal with information on illegal maritime traffic.
Other training sessions on these themes have been previously organised in Ghana and Cape Verde. Others will soon be held in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire and Gambia.
