H E N IN G M A R IT IM E S EC U R IT Y

ST R E N G T
T H E W E S T E R N IN D IA N O C EA N
IN

INTRODUCING A STATE-OF-THE-ART
MARITIME SECURITY ARCHITECTURE
in service of the Blue Economy
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia produced unprecedented levels of regional
and international cooperation in the domain of maritime security.
The wide range of overlapping initiatives has delivered a minimum maritime
capability across different areas: doctrinal, operational, capacity-based, judicial
and political. Yet the multiplicity of players involved and the duplication
of actions can hamper effectiveness, while regional dependence on
international navies raises questions about the long-term sustainability
of current mechanisms and actions in the region.
With pirates redirecting their activities to new forms of transnational
organised crime, and in the face of other new and emerging
maritime security challenges in the region, an inclusive and
coordinated approach is key.
Maritime security and the Blue Economy are intimately linked:
secure oceans are a precondition for the development of the
Blue Economy, and a stronger Blue Economy can play a role
in alleviating some of the root causes of maritime crime.
A regional maritime security architecture is the
most effective framework though which to identify
the problems that affect the region, to improve
cooperation and coordination in the resolution of
these problems, and to deliver maritime security
and safety in the Western Indian Ocean.
This policy brief is the product of a knowledge exchange project funded by the University of Oxford
and jointly led by Raj Mohabeer, Officer in charge, Indian Ocean Commission, and Kate Sullivan de
Estrada, Associate Professor, Oxford School of Global and Area Studies, University of Oxford.
Raj Mohabeer and Kate Sullivan de Estrada. 2019.
Strengthening Maritime Security in the Western Indian Ocean. Ebene, Mauritius: IOC.

This publication was produced within the European Union funded

MASE Programme. Its content is the sole responsibility of the authors
and does not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.

1
N. Melvin. 2019. The New External Security Politics of the Horn of Africa Region. Stockholm: Sweden, p. 2 • 2C. Jeffrey. 2019. Why the Indian
Ocean region might soon play a lead role in world affairs, The Conversation, 14 Jan. Available at: theconversation.com/why-the-indian-ocean-
region-might-soon-play-a-lead-role-in-world-affairs-109663. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019 • 3G. Wignaraja, A. Collins and P. Kannangara. 2018. Is
the Indian Ocean Economy a New Global Growth Pole? Working Paper Series: No. 2, 5 October, Colombo: Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute
of International Relations and Strategic Studies• 4Oceans Beyond Piracy. 2019. Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in East Africa 2017.
Available at: oceansbeyondpiracy.org/reports/sop/east-africa. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019 • 5D. Obura et al. 2017. Reviving the Western
Indian Ocean Economy: Actions for a Sustainable Future. Gland, Switzerland: WWF International, p.14 • 6Bueger et al found, in the 2019
CGPCS Review, 31 different initiatives addressing maritime insecurity and threats - indicating an increased fragmentation with strong
overlapping mandates - C. Bueger, J. Larsen and M. Schätzlein. 2019. Towards a Maritime Security Architecture for the Western Indian
Ocean: A strategic review for the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS). Copenhagen: University of Copenhagen
& Danish Institute for International Studies • 7European Union • 8Intergovernmental Authority on Development • 9East African
Community • 10Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa • 11Indian Ocean Commission • 12 Stable Seas: 2019. The State of
Maritime Piracy 2018. Broomfield CO: One Earth Future, p. 4 • 13CIA. 2019. Indian Ocean, The World Factbook. Available at: cia.
gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/xo.html. Accessed: 26 Sept. 2019 • 14FAO, 5 June 2018. Available at: www.
fao.org/news/story/en/item/1137863/icode/. Accessed 02 October 2019 • 15MACFADYEN et al. 2016 • 16M. Shaw, S. Haysom
and P. Gastrow. 2018. The heroin coast: A political economy along the eastern African seaboard. Pretoria: Enact/Institute for
Security Studies • 17United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in dataunodc.un.org/drugs/global_seizures-2017
- • 17Yaoundé-based Interregional Coordination Centre (ICC) • 18Information Fusion Centre based in Singapore • 19Regional
Maritime Information and Fusion Centre • 20Regional Coordination of Operations Centre • 21Leal Communications and
Informatics Ltd (LCI) and Collecte Localisation Satellite (CLS), a Franco-Mauritian Consortium contracted to equip the
regional and national centres.
SNAPSHOT OF A "GLOBAL" REGION
Global trade depends on the Western Indian Ocean’s major maritime routes.
At the intersection of Asia, Africa and Europe, the Western Indian Ocean is of
growing strategic importance.

28 29 23
foreign military
80%
countries border facilities
the Indian Ocean accounting of the world’s 100 busiest
are currently of oil exports container ports are found
for 35% of the world’s operational transit across the
population and 19% in the Indian Ocean.
in the northwest Indian Ocean2 The region accounts for
of global GDP Indian Ocean1 13% of world trade3

A REGION STRUCK BY PIRACY

From seablindness to minimum maritime capability
Maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia caused global shock waves in the early 2000s, harming regional
economies and destabilizing international trade. The threats and opportunity costs of piracy continue today:
GLOBALLY
- In 2017 the total economic cost of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean was US$1.4 bn.
- There were 54 incidents of piracy/robbery at sea.
- 1,102 seafarers were exposed to piracy or robbery.
- Piracy is suppressed but not eradicated.4
REGIONALLY
- The marine and coastal assets of the region are critical for local economies.
- In 2017 the economic value of ocean-related activities in the Western Indian Ocean was US$ 20.8 bn,
just 0.8% of the total global ocean economy. This signals enormous potential for development of the
region’s blue economy - but first the ocean must be secure.5
The interlinked challenges of maritime security and the development of the Blue Economy need
solutions in the region, for the region, with strong international support.

This regional challenge of piracy and its global effects have been supported collectively, not only by
the international community, but also by States of the Western Indian Ocean. Cooperation on and
the coordination of initiatives are key6 to addressing fragmentation, ensuring synergies and avoiding
the duplication of mechanisms.

The EU7-funded MASE The Djibouti Code The Contact Group on Piracy
Programme, regrouping the of Conduct and its off the coast of Somalia
regional community (IGAD8, Jeddah Amendments gathering +60 stakeholders
EAC9, COMESA10 and IOC11), supported by the (States, international & regional
has embarked on collective International Maritime organisations, operators) and
actions to set up a strong, Organisation. chaired by regional states since
cutting-edge and regionally- 2016 (Seychelles, Mauritius in
owned Maritime Security the name of IOC and Kenya from
Architecture. 2020).
BEYOND PIRACY: A WIDER VIEW OF MARITIME INSECURITY

Piracy is suppressed but not eradicated.

“The root causes for piracy off Somalia - coastal violence,
weak economic conditions, and the prevalence of crime
networks – are still present”
StableSeas, 201812 In 2018,
10
Piracy off the coast of Somalia generated powerful 752 recorded events
38
criminal networks. The international crackdown at sea
on piracy turned pirates into “poly-criminals” Violence
Smuggling and contraband
who have diverted their criminal activities into 182
Human smuggling
358
new transnational organized maritime crimes and IUU fishing
threats.13 62 Cybercrime
Safety incidents
101 Others

ILLEGAL 1
Events recorded in the Western Indian
TRAFFICKING Ocean, Regional Maritime Information
Fusion Centre (RMIFC), 2018
drugs, weapons, natural resources, human beings
Indian Ocean is the world’s second
largest tuna production area.
It accounts for nearly 20%
of the world commercial tuna catch 40 tonnes of heroin New drugs flows
(i.e., 1 million tons)14
(estimated minimum) such as cocaine
transit the Western Indian 262 kg seized
IUU fishing: Ocean into East Africa in Eastern and Southern
Estimates place the global financial each year16 Africa in 201717
value of up to
$23 billion USD annually15

Illegal financial networks financing of terrorism and transnational crimes

A strong, cutting-edge and regionally-owned Maritime Security

Architecture is a prerequisite for the development of the Blue Economy

26N

ICC17 General 20E 76,5E

Area of
Interest for
maritime
safety and IFC18 Singapore
security of General Area of
37S
Gulf of Guinea Interest
RMIFC & RCOC
General Area of Interest
REGIONAL OWNERSHIP OF MARITIME CAPACITY

Under the EU-funded MASE Programme, the Indian Ocean Commission is leading a new initiative to
develop a maritime security architecture based on two Regional Agreements, in line with relevant
international conventions. Cooperation and coordination is the safest and most effective way to
improve maritime control and surveillance. It allows littoral States to play a prominent role in shaping
the future of the Western Indian Ocean.

2 REGIONAL AGREEMENTS

2
REGIONAL
On exchange CENTRES On
and sharing coordination of
of maritime operations
information at sea

RMIFC RCOC

REG ION AL MA RIT IME REG ION AL CO OR DIN ATI ON OF

INF OR MATIO N FUS ION CEN TRE OP ERATIO NS CEN TRE
based in Madagascar based in Seychelles
Core objectives : Core objectives :
Deepen Maritime Domain Awareness by Promote cooperation and coordination
Parties to conduct missions of regional interest
in accordance with the provisions of the
Monitor maritime activities in real time to agreement
accelerate the planning and organization of
control operations at sea Strengthen individual and institutional
capacities (training)
Improve the capacity of Parties to
appropriate maritime information fusion Organize joint and/or coordinated
knowledge and technology interventions at sea or in the overlying
space
Promote the culture of maritime
information sharing and exchange in the Facilitate cooperation between States
Western Indian Ocean when an international or regional maritime
security interest is affected in the area of
Encourage and ensure the sharing and operation
exchange of marine information between
RMIFC, national and regional centres Promote cooperation with agencies
responsible for safety and security at sea

er 2018
2018 Nairobi, Novemb
Mauritius, April
2019 nference
ies as of October Blue Economy Co
Signatory countr inisterial Confere
nce on Maritime Security
M

France Kenya
Mauritius Seychelles
s Djibouti Madagascar
Union of Comoro
BUILDING REGIONAL MARITIME DOMAIN AWARENESS
Signatories to the two regional agreements signal their political commitment to a regional maritime
security architecture in the Western Indian Ocean. The regional agreements establish a strong capacity
for Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) through the RMIFC19 and the RCOC20 and are enabled by
“MAS”, a specially-developed Maritime Awareness System that offers a cutting-edge technological
solution to the tasks of monitoring and surveillance in the maritime domain. This newly developed
maritime security architecture enables signatory countries to play a prominent role in building the
maritime intelligence needed to deliver maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean.
• WHAT IS MAS? • The MAS is developed by LCI/CLS21
The Maritime Awareness System
(MAS) set up in RMIFC and • MAS enables data fusion and in-depth analysis to build
RCOC is a tailored-made system the most complete maritime picture possible and to
to exchange information and deliver actionable intelligence.
coordinate joint actions at sea.

RMIFC and RCOC as well as the National

Centres of the signatory countries will
be equipped with latest cutting-edge
technology MAS

MARITIME AWARENESS SYSTEM - OVERVIEW

Source:
LCI- CLS
THE VALUE ADDITION
• A maritime security architecture built up by • A state-of-the-art system covering 14
regional States, managed by regional States million km², including major maritime routes
and serving the whole region and beyond and thus completing the maritime situation picture
of the whole of the Indian Ocean
• A regional mechanism for the exchange
and sharing of maritime information and for • An example of cooperation and pooling of
the coordination of actions at sea, open to resources to tackle common issues and overcome
additional Parties and contributors national limitations
• A concrete step forward for the AU 2050 Maritime
Integrated Strategy and the 2030 Sustainable
Development Goals

Signing of the two MASE Regional agreements by 5 countries The Republic of Kenya and Republic of France
(Djibouti, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles) signed the two MASE Regional Agreements at
during the Ministerial Conference on Maritime Security the International Blue Economy conference in
at Balaclava, Mauritius in April 2018. November 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya.

GROWING OUR STAKEHOLDERS - THE NEXT STEPS

• The most pressing need is to strengthen • The operationalization of the Regional Centres
coordination and partnerships with the requires the support and collaboration of
international community: the Regional international partners for training and the
Agreements setting-up (i) a Regional Maritime mobilization of expertise.
Information Exchange and Sharing Mechanism
• This maritime security architecture will aim
and (ii) a Regional Mechanism for Coordination of
to create synergies and links with national
Action at Sea are open to States and organisations
institutions and other projects/initiatives
both within and beyond the Western Indian Ocean.
including the Jeddah Code of Conduct,
• Maritime security is a highly political issue and and existing information fusion centres
requires a strong political commitment at the highest in Asia and Western Africa.
level to ensure mobilization of national, regional and
international stakeholders and to accelerate operational
activities.
 FOR MORE INFORMATION
INDIAN OCEAN COMMISSION
M. Raj Mohabeer,
Officer in charge
[email protected]
www.commissionoceanindien.org
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REGIONAL MARITIME INFORMATION

AND FUSION CENTRE
Director
Captain Jean Edmond RANDRIANANTENAINA
[email protected]

REGIONAL COORDINATION
OF OPERATIONS CENTRE
Director
Colonel Georges ADELINE
[email protected]

#MASE PROGRAMME
A strong partnership for a safe and secure mari me domain

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