AFRICOM Leader Focuses on African Maritime Security in the West Indian Ocean
10:39 AM5/22/2024
Ambassador Robert Scott, deputy commander for civil-military engagement at U.S. Africa Command, visited Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles May 11-18 to meet with partner nation government officials and discuss the countries’ regional efforts to address maritime security challenges.
240509-N-NS135-1302 (May 9, 2024) TAKORADI, Ghana – From left to right, military personnel from the U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team (TACLET), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cote D’Ivoire, Benin, Guinea, Togo, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (Corps Mariniers) Reconnaissance Sniper Team pose for a photo at the conclusion of Obangame Express 2024 maritime interdiction training events at Ghana Western Naval Headquarters. American and Dutch trainers awarded completion certificates to personnel from the 10 nations participating in the training. During Exercise Obangame Express 2024, the 13th rendition of the exercise, partner and allied forces collaborate to enhance collective maritime law enforcement capabilities, bolster national and regional security in West Africa, and foster greater interoperability among U.S., African, and multinational partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adriones Johnson)
240509-N-NS135-1003 (May 9, 2024) TAKORADI, Ghana – Greek Navy Ens. Spyridon Papadakis from the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operations Training Centre (NMIOTC) gives Ghana Navy and Ghana Police Service personnel feedback after a maritime crime scene investigation drill during Obangame Express 2024 at Ghana Western Naval Headquarters. Papadakis is part of a two-man mobile training team from NMIOTC providing instruction on tactical combat casualty care and maritime interdiction. During Exercise Obangame Express 2024, the 13th rendition of the exercise, partner and allied forces collaborate to enhance collective maritime law enforcement capabilities, bolster national and regional security in West Africa, and foster greater interoperability among U.S., African, and multinational partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Adriones Johnson)
240509-N-MY408-1133 (May 9, 2024) TAKORADI, Ghana – Ghana Navy and Sierra Leone Armed Forces personnel move in formation up a ladder on Cutter-class patrol ship GNS Anzone (P 30) while conducting a maritime interdiction and detention scenario at Obangame Express 2024 training events at Ghana Western Naval Headquarters. During Exercise Obangame Express 2024, the 13th rendition of the exercise, partner and allied forces collaborate to enhance collective maritime law enforcement capabilities, bolster national and regional security in West Africa, and foster greater interoperability among U.S., African, and multinational partners. (U.S. Navy photo by Lt. j.g. Daniel Ehrlich)
Thirteen nations participate in Obangame Express 2024 maritime interdiction training in Ghana
11:02 AM5/13/2024
Over five days, 13 nations from across West Africa, Europe, and North America sent military delegations to collaborate, learn, and train together as part of the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF)’s Obangame Express 2024 military interdiction training events at the Ghana Western Naval Headquarters in Sekondi.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Todd Hunt, the Adjutant General of North Carolina, and Gen. Paul Valentino Phiri, Malawi Defence Force Commander sign the state partnership program letter of intent during a signing ceremony in Lilongwe, Malawi, April 27, 2024. The signing ceremony was held to commemorate the newly formed partnership between North Carolina and the Republic of Malawi. The State Partnership Program is a vital mechanism for fostering cooperation and building enduring relationships between states, both domestically and internationally. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Bridget Pittman-Blackwell)
North Carolina National Guard leader, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Allen R. Boyette, NCNG Deputy Adjutant General, left, and U.S. Army Col. Michael Marciniak, Director of Strategic Plans and Policy, right, walk to the signing ceremony at Lilongwe, Malawi, April 27, 2024. The leaders joined fellow U.S. Military and Malawi officials at a signing ceremony as part of the NCNG’s expansion bringing the Republic of Zambia and the Republic of Malawi into their State Partnership Program, a National Guard Bureau initiative joining individual state National Guards and host nations as part of U.S. security cooperation and international civil-military affairs.