Denmark Calls for Stronger African Ownership of Maritime Security as Middle East Tensions Reroute Shipping ‎

Denmark's Ambassador to Ghana, Jakob Linulf, has warned that geopolitical tensions far from West Africa are adding pressure to the continent's coastal security, and called for stronger national ownership and regional cooperation in response.

Delivering the keynote at the 1st African Maritime Security Forum on 14 October 2026, Ambassador Linulf said, according to his prepared remarks, that the maritime security environment is "fast evolving."

The forum's theme was "The African Maritime Landscape in Times of Geopolitical Uncertainty in 2026 and Beyond." Ghana's Minister of Defence, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, chiefs of naval staff, and representatives of research and academic institutions attended.

Middle East tensions reach Africa's coast

The ambassador said that years of instability in the Middle East have increasingly threatened freedom of navigation along major trade corridors, disrupting the movement of essential commodities and cargo.

The effects, he said, extend well beyond the conflict zones.

Vessels are being diverted around the Cape of Good Hope and, in some cases, through the Gulf of Guinea. That, he said, puts extra strain on the maritime security and law enforcement capabilities of African coastal states.

He described maritime security as "inherently interconnected," since developments in one strategic corridor can affect shipping, trade and security far beyond it.

Denmark's record
Ambassador Linulf noted that Denmark, as a seafaring nation, prioritizes freedom of navigation and the safety of seafarers, given that about 90 percent of global trade moves by sea. He said Denmark has worked with partners in the Gulf of Guinea and the Horn of Africa for over a decade through its peace and stabilisation programme.

He credited that cooperation with a significant reduction in piracy in the region and said it has:

trained over 1,000 military and civilian security officers;

established modern training facilities in Ghana and Nigeria for maritime crime interdiction and investigations;

supported capacity building for security and defence forces and maritime authorities, including sophisticated simulation equipment for navies.

Backing regional frameworks
The ambassador said the changing environment underscores the need for stronger national capabilities, enhanced regional cooperation and greater coordination among maritime stakeholders.

Denmark, he said, stands behind efforts to operationalize the Yaoundé Code of Conduct in West Africa and the Djibouti Code of Conduct in Eastern Africa.

An "equal partnership"
The forum is the product of a five-year partnership between the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), Stellenbosch University and the Royal Danish Defence College.

Ambassador Linulf commended the three institutions for sustaining it and for widening its scope to maritime security and governance across the continent.

He expressed Denmark's hope that the "spirit of equal partnership" behind the initiative will continue, providing a platform for advancing African-led solutions to Africa's maritime security challenges.

Mustapha Bature Sallama
Medical/Science communicator, Private Investigator, Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Analysis,United States Institute of Peace (USIP), [email protected] +233555275880

Source: Keynote talking points of Ambassador Jakob Linulf, Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, prepared for delivery at the 1st African Maritime Security Forum, 14 October 2026, 09:25–09:35 AM.