Gathered in Yaoundé on May 14, 2026, experts from the Interregional Coordination Center (CIC) of ECCAS are working on security challenges and maritime governance in the Gulf of Guinea. This preparatory session is meant to pave the way for decisions expected at the fifth Annual Meeting of Senior Officials of the Yaoundé Architecture.
The Cameroonian capital hosted on Thursday, May 14, 2026, the preparatory work for the fifth Annual Meeting of Senior Officials (RAHR) of the Interregional Coordination Center (CIC). The opening ceremony was chaired by the Commissioner in charge of Political Affairs, Peace and Security of the ECCAS Commission, Army Corps General and Police Commissioner Marcel Mapangou Moussadji.
In his speech, the community official praised the mobilization of experts who came to examine the issues related to security and maritime governance in the area covered by the Yaoundé Architecture. He also expressed his gratitude to the Cameroonian authorities for the welcome extended to the various delegations present in the capital.
This meeting follows up on the recommendations made during the previous RAHR held in Abuja in April 2024. Experts are thus called upon to assess the progress made, identify persistent shortcomings, and propose adjustments aimed at improving the effectiveness of the regional maritime security system.
For Marcel Mapangou Moussadji, the role of experts remains crucial in preparing the strategic orientations that will be submitted to senior officials at the conclusion of the Yaoundé work.
At the heart of the discussions are several priorities: the consolidation of the Yaoundé Architecture and the Code of Conduct adopted in 2013, strengthening interregional cooperation, as well as improving maritime governance in the Gulf of Guinea. Participants will also have to consider innovative financing mechanisms for the CIC to ensure the sustainability of its missions.
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The ECCAS Commissioner also emphasized the need to strengthen synergy with international partners, in line with the objectives of the African Union and the United Nations regarding peace and security.
The work brings together representatives from the Gulf of Guinea Commission, the Cameroonian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense, FOMAC, and CRESMAC. ECOWAS, announced for this meeting, apologized.
In officially opening the work, Marcel Mapangou Moussadji urged the experts to demonstrate rigor, a spirit of consultation, and a sense of duty in the face of the security challenges that persist in the Gulf of Guinea.
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