A total of 23 African countries have converged on Rabat in Morocco to chart a new course to maximise the utilisation of the Atlantic Ocean for the benefit of the continent.
The meeting, which is on issues bordering the Atlantic ocean, will also develop an African vision that will promote the continent’s identity and security.
The Atlantic is the second-largest ocean in the world, covering about 106,460,000 square kilometres.
It covers approximately 20 per cent of the earth’s surface and holds about 29 per cent of the world’s water surface area.
The ministerial meeting would focus on political dialogue, security and safety, as well as blue economy, connectivity, environment, and energy.
The meeting hopes to develop an action plan to promote economic cooperation and trade, ensure maritime security, fight organised crime, piracy, and trafficking along the Atlantic coast.
The African Atlantic Countries are Nigeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Cape Verde, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Cameroon.
Others are Sao Tome and Principe, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Namibia, and South Africa.
NAN
