Spotlight: Joint effort helps launch Gulf of Guinea rapid reaction maritime task force
The ISS was among several organisations contributing to the formation of the first Africa-led combined naval unit.
Published on 14 July 2026 in
Impact
The Institute for Security Studies (ISS) joins West and Central African states in welcoming the launch of a multi-country naval task force to combat piracy, smuggling, armed robbery and illegal fishing in the Gulf of Guinea.
The new Combined Maritime Task Force (CMTF) was inaugurated on 1 June 2026 by Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu at the 70th anniversary of the Nigerian navy.
Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone are the first six countries to commit resources to the initiative, with more states expected to join. The creation of a rapid reaction force to prevent and combat threats to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea is long overdue for a region once described as the world’s piracy hotspot.
It gives effect to multiple resolutions adopted since 2021 by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, as well as a 2022 United Nations Security Council resolution urging African states to take responsibility for security in their maritime territory.
In 2021, the ISS was asked by regional governments to help facilitate discussions on the concept and design of the CMTF as a collective operational response to maritime threats. The task was jointly undertaken with experts from the Gulf of Guinea Commission, African Union Commission, Economic Community of West African States and Economic Community of Central African States.
‘The ISS delivered critical support to an important African maritime security initiative,’ says Nigerian Commodore Mohammad Shettima, the inaugural commander of the new task force. ‘Professional, technical and logistical support from the ISS played an important role in turning a regional and continental ambition into a kinetic force to address a major maritime challenge.’
Shettima noted that ‘This was a sustained ISS engagement spanning five years from when the CMTF project was first conceived in 2021 to when it was flagged off’ in June 2026.
‘We provided a platform for naval chiefs to collaborate, and ensure that the task force had operational capacity and that it was not just another committee,’ explained Timothy Walker, Senior Researcher in the ISS Transnational Threats and Organised Crime programme. ‘As a neutral independent partner, the ISS provided a balancing force when negotiations were tense, and used its leverage to overcome obstacles.’
ISS provided sustained engagement from when the CMTF was first conceived in 2021 to its launch in June 2026
The 6 000 km coastline of the resource-rich Gulf of Guinea spans 26 nations, from Senegal to Angola. It holds vast oil and gas reserves and is a major fishing ground and global trade artery. The region is threatened by illegal fishing, piracy, drug trafficking and transnational organised crimes that hinder security, trade and development.
The new task force aims to protect maritime economies within the African Continental Free Trade Area through sustained intelligence gathering, surveillance, patrols, search and rescue operations, and rapid response to threats.
It is the first combined maritime naval unit to be created and led by African countries, rather than relying on foreign navies. The CMTF is designed to operate alongside state security forces and criminal justice agencies. It will have 1 500 personnel and a fleet that includes maritime surface and air assets, as well as electronic surveillance capabilities.
The task force strengthens and complements the 2013 Yaoundé Architecture for Maritime Security, which provides a political and legal framework for cooperation among West and Central African states. Its specific role is to work with the West Africa Regional Maritime Security Centre and the Central African Regional Maritime Safety Centre to provide rapid response and 24-hour surveillance.
‘Despite multiple regional initiatives, there have until now been gaps in enforcement and the ability to coordinate physical responses to complex maritime threats in the Gulf of Guinea,’ says ISS Senior Researcher Martin Ewi. ‘The CMTF is a commitment by regional states to take ownership and responsibility for their marine environment and its security.’
Nigeria has provided the initial CMTF fleet of three ships and a helicopter, vehicles, personnel and force headquarters in Lagos. The task force will collaborate with partners including the International Maritime Organisation, UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Interpol and the European Union.
For more information, contact:
Timothy Walker, ISS: [email protected] or Martin Ewi, ISS: [email protected]
