A joint maritime commission yesterday revealed there has been increased threat to Sierra Leone’s maritime security, noting that with the discovery of oil and the shipments of iron ore, the country could be a target for organised criminal gangs.
John D. Rogers, secretary to the Joint Maritime Commission (JMC), which was conceived in 2006, said “Government must ensure that measures are instituted that are geared towards the protection of vessels and enhance port security.”
The security chief admitted to problems of weak security in the maritime environment while addressing a stakeholders’ conference, jointly organised by the Defense Attaché Office of the United States Embassy in Freetown and United States Naval Forces Africa, at the Country Lodge in western Freetown.
He, however, assured that they were “making frantic effort towards practical and workable approaches.”
The scribe, who also doubles as director of border security in the Office of National Security said lack of resources to support patrols in both the Inshore Exclusive Zone (IEZ) and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which stretched to 200 nautical miles, has brought unnecessary loss of revenue to the nation.
United States Ambassador, Michael Owen, encouraged the gathering to make the best out of the available opportunity in coordinating their efforts.
“When your citizens can freely navigate and harvest the seas, and when criminals are prevented from depleting the resources which are your rightful heritage as Sierra Leoneans, then conditions for business development will improve across the board as will prospects for continued peace and democratic growth,” he said.
Admiral Kenneth J. Norton of the US Naval Forces Africa stated that resources need to be cared for, which could only be achieved through the process of inter-agency collaborative efforts, so that it could not be illegally exploited.
He recalled that from his travels across Africa, he was sure that the JMC has made terrific progress in their area of operations, adding that he was optimistic that they would continue to make progress.
The conference which took place under the auspices of the US Africa Partnership Station (APS) was aimed at strengthening global maritime security in Africa, focusing on combating the illegal trafficking of drugs and persons, safeguarding natural resources such as fossil fuels and fisheries and deterring piracy.
