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A Djiboutian Coast Guard sailor prepares to board an Indian frigate during Cutlass Express 2019.
A Djiboutian Coast Guard sailor prepares to board an Indian frigate during Cutlass Express 2019.
U.S. Navy (Ryan Kledzik)

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Africa-to-Africa Maritime Engagement

By Ian Ralby
April 2020
Proceedings
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At various 2019 senior leader seminars for the “Express” series of naval exercises in East and West Africa, something was different. As in years past, the senior leaders of navies and coast guards from around the continent were present, and recognized international experts presented on topics relevant to those senior leaders. This time, however, most of the experts were African. 

Over the past two years, a discernable trend has become increasingly visible in engagements in Africa on maritime security. “Capacity building” used to mean North Americans and Europeans coming to the continent, sometimes for the first time, to tell Africans how to secure, govern and develop their waters. Now a new phenomenon is taking hold: Africa-to-Africa capacity building. 

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Dr. Ian Ralby

Dr. Ralby is a leading expert on maritime law and security around the world. He is CEO of I.R. Consilium, which provides advice and assistance on maritime and resource security, and is former adjunct professor at the Department of Defense’s Africa Center for Strategic Studies.

More Stories From This Author View Biography

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