By Dmitry Filipoff
From June 16-20, CIMSEC will feature a series of articles written for the African Maritime Forces Summit (AMFS) 2025.
The summit, hosted in Mauritius from June 23-26, addresses African regional maritime security through the lens of the Western Indian Ocean. AMFS seeks to enhance regional maritime security by convening key maritime leaders to frame collective problems, coordinate strategies, and strengthen regional maritime cooperation. U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa (NAVEUR/NAVAF) and U.S. Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa (MARFOREUR/AF) jointly sponsor the event, which is co-hosted this year by the Mauritius Police Force.
Editors from the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, the U.S. Naval War College, and the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School solicited articles from distinguished maritime experts to prepare an event conference book that would foster robust dialogue at the summit. By permission of the authors and editors, CIMSEC is pleased to host these final conference articles for a wider audience.
Theme 1: Threats to Regional Maritime Security
“Escalating Threats to Maritime Security in the Western Indian Ocean Region,” by Brigadier General John Waweru (Ret.), IMO Consultant.
“Diversifying Threats to Maritime Security in the Western Indian Ocean Region,” by Captain Harifidy A. Alex Ralaiarivony, Director of RMIFC.
“Direct and Indirect Maritime Security Threats in the Western Indian Ocean,” by Captain Mark Blaine (Ret.), SIGLA Stellenbosch and SA Navy.
Theme 2: The Connecting Ocean: The Role of Non-African States in African Regional Maritime Security
“Africa’s Maritime Security Relations and the Global Responsibility to Protect the Sea,” by Dr. Christian Bueger, University of Copenhagen.
“Connecting Ocean: The Role of Non-African States in African Regional Maritime Security,” by VADM Ignacio Villanueva Serrano, Operation Commander, EU NAVFOR ATALANTA.
“India’s Evolving Role in Supporting African Maritime Security Architecture,” by Dr. Abhishek Mishra, Associate Fellow, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), New Delhi.
Theme 3: Developing Robust Regional Maritime Security Mechanisms
“Developing Robust Regional Maritime Security Mechanisms for the WIO,” by Major Raj Mohabeer, IOC and Mr. Kiruja Micheni, Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment, International Maritime Organization.
“Rebuilding SADC’s Maritime Security Architecture,” by Mr. Timothy Walker, Institute for Security Studies, South Africa.
“From Fragmentation to Framework: The Evolution of Regional Maritime Governance in the Western Indian Ocean,” by Ms. Pascaline Alexandre, Africa Center for Competitive Intelligence (ACCI).
The views presented are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of any government or organization with which they may be affiliated.
Dmitry Filipoff is CIMSEC’s Director of Online Content. Contact him at Content@cimsec.org.
Featured Image: Leaders attending the African Maritime Forces Summit (AMFS) pose for a photo in front of USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) while moored in Sal Island, Cabo Verde, Mar. 21, 2023. (U.S. Navy photo)