Luanda - The Chief of Staff of the Angolan Navy (MGA), Vice-Admiral Manuel de Jesus, on Thursday in Luanda highlighted the contribution of the naval exercise “Grand African Nemo” in enhancing and coordinating the autonomy of the continent's navies in the fight against illicit activities at sea.
According to the vice admiral, who was speaking at the end of the 2023 edition of the annual exercise, this training space, with support for the Yaoundé (Cameroon) code of conduct, has allowed greater operational, international cooperation, good-neighborhood policy and reinforcement, increasingly, of military diplomacy.
Likewise, he added that the training space plays an important role for freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Guinea Region, reinforcing coordination in the fight against maritime treats.
Manuel de Jesus praised the commitment of the Angolan delegation to the event, made up of a total of 1,350 military personnel and 450 civilians.
The exercises aim to attract organizations to the “spirit” of defense and security, with emphasis on the Inter-Regional Communication (CIC), Regional Maritime Security for West Africa (CRESMAO) and Regional Maritime Security (CRESMAC) centers.
Angola, whose participation in the exercises began in 2019, coordinates Zone A, which also includes the Republic of Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In the national stage, held from the 4th to the 11th of this year, the country developed the themes “Maritime Pollution”, in the Luanda area, “Illegal Immigration”, in Ambiz, Bengo province, and “Arms Trafficking”, in Soyo (Zaire). ), while in the final zone the maritime area of Cabinda was the stage for operations.
Participating in the exercise were Angola, Republic of Congo and DR Congo (Zone A), São Tomé and Príncipe, Cameroon and Gabon (Zone D), Togo, Benin and Nigeria (Zone E), Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana (Zone F) and Cabo Verde, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and the Republic of Guinea (Zone G). It was also attended, among others, by members of the navies of the United States of America (USA), England, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Canada, Portugal, Morocco, Belgium and Denmark. VC/DC/TED/DOJ
