Gulf of Guinea and Maritime (In)Security: Musings on Some Implications of Applicable Legal Instruments

Authors

Edwin E. Egede

First Page

369

Abstract

The Gulf of Guinea (GoG) is an enormous and diverse region consisting of approximately 6,000 km of coastline extending from Senegal to Angola. It is a maritime area of strategic importance because it is resource-rich with hydrocarbons, fish and other resources. Also, it is important as a vital maritime transit hub. Unlike certain other shipping lanes that have been identified as chokepoints, the GoG, because of its width, is not susceptible to blockades and major shipping accidents. Previously the maritime (in)security in the GoG had not received the same high-profile attention from the international community as the situation in the East African region. However, in recent times, the GoG has overtaken the East African region as one the world’s worst piracy hotspots. As a result of the maritime insecurity in the GoG, unsurprisingly several legal instruments, ranging from UN Security Council resolutions, at the global level, and the Code of Conduct Concerning the Repression of Piracy, Armed Robbery against Ships, And Illicit Maritime Activity in West and Central Africa (the Yaoundé Code) 2013 at the regional level, as well as national legislation at the domestic level, have been adopted to address this situation. This article aims to analyse these legal instruments to unpack certain legal issues that develop from them.

Recommended Citation

Edwin E. Egede, Gulf of Guinea and Maritime (In)Security: Musings on Some Implications of Applicable Legal Instruments, 46 Brook. J. Int'l L. 369 (2021).
Available at: https://brooklynworks.brooklaw.edu/bjil/vol46/iss2/2