2014-06-13 SEMINAR HELD ON MARITIME SECURITY The United States Ambassador to Mozambique, Douglas Griffiths, on Wednesday warned of the possibility of piracy in the waters of northern Mozambique, following the discovery of huge natural gas reserves in the Rovuma Basin, off the coast of Cabo Delgado province. Speaking in Maputo at a seminar on maritime security in the Indian Ocean, organised by the Mozambican and US governments, Griffiths noted that, on the other side of the continent, with the increase in offshore oil production in the Gulf of Guinea, “there has been a corresponding increase in acts of piracy and theft, which seriously threaten the flow of trade and fishing in the region”. He feared there was a potential for the development of similar threats in Mozambique. “Fortunately, we have some time to work together to design a plan to protect the natural resources of Mozambique”, he said. Griffiths pointed out that the Mozambican coastline is more than 2,500 kilometres long. The trade routes along the Mozambique Channel, the offshore hydrocarbon deposits, and the coastal tourist resorts all required adequate protection. “We have the opportunity to take preventive action to protect Mozambican waters from the threat of transnational crime”, he declared. The United States, he added, was proud of “its extensive cooperation with the Mozambican government in deterring international piracy and the trafficking of illegal goods, focusing our efforts on training and equipping the Mozambican navy so that it can effective patrol its waters”. Mozambican Defence Minister Agostinho Mondlane guaranteed that the Mozambican authorities are aware of all the possible scenarios arising from the discovery of off-shore hydrocarbon resources. “We are aware that the prospection, production, processing and transport of gas, petroleum and their derivatives bring with them great challenges, concerning preventive action against maritime crime”, declared Mondlane. Improved training for the Mozambican navy, he added, was essential for the prevention of piracy and trafficking in Mozambican waters, and to protect the marine environment. He called for the creation of “a network of potential national and regional partners who, in collaboration, can effectively face the threats, challenges and opportunities arising from the exploitation of energy sources at sea, and draw up measures conducive to maritime security”. The three day seminar brings together experts from 12 countries and various multilateral organisations, who will pool this experience to help Mozambique develop its maritime security plan.
Posted on: Fri, 13 Jun 2014 09:02:31 +0000
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