Who Secures the Western Indian Ocean? The Need for Strategic Dialogue
The MOC
By
Dr. Christian Bueger
September 19, 2024
The Western Indian Ocean has once again become a focal point of international security concerns. Recent events, including attacks on shipping by Houthi forces and the resurgence of piracy off the Somali coast since November 2023, have thrust maritime security in this region back into the global spotlight. However, these high-profile incidents are merely single threads in the complex web of security challenges facing this strategically crucial waterway.
A multitude of issues threaten stability and prosperity in the Western Indian Ocean. The smuggling of narcotics, particularly heroin from Afghanistan, poses a significant threat to public health and safety throughout the region. Illicit fishing activities jeopardize marine biodiversity and undermine the economies of coastal communities that depend on sustainable fisheries. The perilous journeys of irregular maritime migrants put countless lives at risk. Meanwhile, the rapid growth of shipping activities in the region has led to increased marine safety risks, while many ports struggle with inadequate security measures.
Building a Regional Maritime Security Architecture
These multifaceted challenges have not gone unnoticed by the international community. Since the peak of Somali piracy between 2008 and 2012, there has been a surge in global efforts to bolster maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean. These initiatives have focused on two primary objectives: enhancing the national capacities of regional states to address maritime security issues and fostering the development of a regional maritime security architecture to facilitate international cooperation.
While there is broad consensus on the need for a regional structure to coordinate maritime security efforts, stakeholders often diverge in their visions of what this architecture should look like and how it should function. This lack of alignment stems from the diverse interests, priorities, and capabilities of the various actors involved in securing the Western Indian Ocean.
The rationale for a regional architecture is compelling. Such a framework would allow for the pooling of resources, including assets for maritime security operations and analytical capabilities like dark vessel detection. It would facilitate the sharing of critical information, ranging from intelligence insights and criminal investigations to observations of suspicious behavior and incident reports. A regional structure could also help harmonize and deconflict military operations, streamline the handover of suspects and evidence to prosecuting states, and identify capacity-building gaps while coordinating external support activities.
Competing Visions and the Patchwork of Initiatives
However, the path to realizing this vision is fraught with challenges. The landscape of maritime security initiatives in the Western Indian Ocean is characterized by a patchwork of overlapping and sometimes competing projects, each with its own scope, focus, and level of formality.
Efforts like the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC), facilitated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and favored by countries such as Kenya, the United States, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, aim for a broad regional approach but have yielded limited operational outcomes. In contrast, the structures built by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)—often known as the MASE architecture and supported by the European Union—are more limited in geographical scope yet have produced strong operational results. The two centers for information fusion and operational coordination under this framework conduct dozens of maritime operations each year.
The Nairobi Convention, under the auspices of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), remains the only legally binding maritime treaty for the region. However, its scope is limited to Eastern and Southern African countries, and it has primarily been used as a framework to address marine safety risks, pollution, and environmental crimes.
This diversity of approaches, while potentially beneficial in addressing the multifaceted nature of maritime security challenges, also creates a complex and sometimes confusing landscape. The lack of a clear hierarchy or coordinating mechanism among these various initiatives can lead to duplication of efforts, gaps in coverage, and potential controversies over priorities or methods. The prevalence of informal arrangements, moreover, might lead to weak accountability and the lack of rules for the region.
Advancing Strategic Dialogue
The need for a strategic dialogue to reconcile these diverse visions and approaches has never been more pressing. This is where the Contact Group on Illicit Maritime Activities in the Western Indian Ocean (CGIMA), created in 2023, plays a crucial role. CGIMA is the only platform where all stakeholders—not just like-minded states and allies—can participate on equal footing.
Unlike other forums where one or more powerful actors may dominate the agenda, CGIMA provides a neutral space where no single entity sits at the top or steers the discussion in a particular direction. This inclusivity and neutrality make CGIMA uniquely positioned to bring to the fore the full diversity of visions for maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean and work towards reconciling them.
The importance of this strategic dialogue cannot be overstated. The Western Indian Ocean is a critical artery of global trade, a rich source of marine resources, and a region of significant geopolitical importance. The security challenges it faces are transnational in nature and require coordinated, multilateral responses. No single state or organization can effectively address these issues in isolation.
A Unified Structure is Unrealistic
However, it’s important to recognize that achieving a neat, unified structure for maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean is unlikely, given the competing interests and priorities at play. The reality is that maritime security in this region will likely continue to be characterized by a complex network of overlapping initiatives and partnerships.
The goal should not be to impose a single, monolithic framework, but rather to foster greater coordination, communication, and complementarity among existing and future initiatives, and work towards formalizing and institutionalizing there relations. This is where the strategic dialogue facilitated by CGIMA becomes invaluable.
By bringing together diverse stakeholders in a neutral forum, CGIMA can help build trust, enhance understanding, and identify opportunities for collaboration that might otherwise be overlooked. It can serve as a clearinghouse for information, helping to reduce duplication of efforts and ensure that resources are deployed more efficiently across the region.
Moreover, CGIMA can play a crucial role in ensuring that the voices and perspectives of smaller regional states are heard and incorporated into broader strategic discussions. This inclusivity is essential for developing sustainable, locally-owned solutions to maritime security challenges.
While the maritime security landscape in the Western Indian Ocean may remain multifaceted, strategic dialogue through platforms like CGIMA offers the best hope for navigating this complexity. By fostering open communication, promoting collaboration, and reconciling diverse visions, such dialogue can help create a more coherent and effective approach to securing this vital region. The challenges are significant, but so too are the opportunities for building a safer, more prosperous Western Indian Ocean through collective action and shared responsibility.
Christian Bueger is professor of international relations at the University of Copenhagen where he leads a research group on ocean infrastructures. He is also a research fellow at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), one of the directors of SafeSeas – the network for maritime security research, and author of Understanding Maritime Security published by Oxford University Press in 2024 (with Tim Edmunds). Further information is available at www.bueger.info.
The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.
Center for Maritime Strategy
By Dr. Christian Bueger
The Western Indian Ocean has once again become a focal point of international security concerns. Recent events, including attacks on shipping by Houthi forces and the resurgence of piracy off the Somali coast since November 2023, have thrust maritime security in this region back into the global spotlight. However, these high-profile incidents are merely single threads in the complex web of security challenges facing this strategically crucial waterway.
A multitude of issues threaten stability and prosperity in the Western Indian Ocean. The smuggling of narcotics, particularly heroin from Afghanistan, poses a significant threat to public health and safety throughout the region. Illicit fishing activities jeopardize marine biodiversity and undermine the economies of coastal communities that depend on sustainable fisheries. The perilous journeys of irregular maritime migrants put countless lives at risk. Meanwhile, the rapid growth of shipping activities in the region has led to increased marine safety risks, while many ports struggle with inadequate security measures.
Building a Regional Maritime Security Architecture
These multifaceted challenges have not gone unnoticed by the international community. Since the peak of Somali piracy between 2008 and 2012, there has been a surge in global efforts to bolster maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean. These initiatives have focused on two primary objectives: enhancing the national capacities of regional states to address maritime security issues and fostering the development of a regional maritime security architecture to facilitate international cooperation.
While there is broad consensus on the need for a regional structure to coordinate maritime security efforts, stakeholders often diverge in their visions of what this architecture should look like and how it should function. This lack of alignment stems from the diverse interests, priorities, and capabilities of the various actors involved in securing the Western Indian Ocean.
The rationale for a regional architecture is compelling. Such a framework would allow for the pooling of resources, including assets for maritime security operations and analytical capabilities like dark vessel detection. It would facilitate the sharing of critical information, ranging from intelligence insights and criminal investigations to observations of suspicious behavior and incident reports. A regional structure could also help harmonize and deconflict military operations, streamline the handover of suspects and evidence to prosecuting states, and identify capacity-building gaps while coordinating external support activities.
Competing Visions and the Patchwork of Initiatives
However, the path to realizing this vision is fraught with challenges. The landscape of maritime security initiatives in the Western Indian Ocean is characterized by a patchwork of overlapping and sometimes competing projects, each with its own scope, focus, and level of formality.
Efforts like the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC), facilitated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and favored by countries such as Kenya, the United States, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, aim for a broad regional approach but have yielded limited operational outcomes. In contrast, the structures built by the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)—often known as the MASE architecture and supported by the European Union—are more limited in geographical scope yet have produced strong operational results. The two centers for information fusion and operational coordination under this framework conduct dozens of maritime operations each year.
The United States-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) represents a military-centric approach, bringing together navies from the UK, Australia, and Pakistan. The CMF organizes military operations in the region and information sharing, while also engaging in capacity-building efforts. In contrast, initiatives such as the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the EU’s Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHoA) focus solely on information sharing and collaboration with the shipping industry.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) adopts a more entrepreneurial approach, fostering multiple issue-specific professional forums—such as the Indian Ocean Forum on Maritime Crime (IOFMC)—and embracing a “more is better” philosophy. India, the intra-regional powerhouse, promotes its vision of an Indian Ocean region and prefers to work through broader structures like the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), and its own regional information fusion center.
The Nairobi Convention, under the auspices of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), remains the only legally binding maritime treaty for the region. However, its scope is limited to Eastern and Southern African countries, and it has primarily been used as a framework to address marine safety risks, pollution, and environmental crimes.
This diversity of approaches, while potentially beneficial in addressing the multifaceted nature of maritime security challenges, also creates a complex and sometimes confusing landscape. The lack of a clear hierarchy or coordinating mechanism among these various initiatives can lead to duplication of efforts, gaps in coverage, and potential controversies over priorities or methods. The prevalence of informal arrangements, moreover, might lead to weak accountability and the lack of rules for the region.
Advancing Strategic Dialogue
The need for a strategic dialogue to reconcile these diverse visions and approaches has never been more pressing. This is where the Contact Group on Illicit Maritime Activities in the Western Indian Ocean (CGIMA), created in 2023, plays a crucial role. CGIMA is the only platform where all stakeholders—not just like-minded states and allies—can participate on equal footing.
Unlike other forums where one or more powerful actors may dominate the agenda, CGIMA provides a neutral space where no single entity sits at the top or steers the discussion in a particular direction. This inclusivity and neutrality make CGIMA uniquely positioned to bring to the fore the full diversity of visions for maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean and work towards reconciling them.
The importance of this strategic dialogue cannot be overstated. The Western Indian Ocean is a critical artery of global trade, a rich source of marine resources, and a region of significant geopolitical importance. The security challenges it faces are transnational in nature and require coordinated, multilateral responses. No single state or organization can effectively address these issues in isolation.
A Unified Structure is Unrealistic
However, it’s important to recognize that achieving a neat, unified structure for maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean is unlikely, given the competing interests and priorities at play. The reality is that maritime security in this region will likely continue to be characterized by a complex network of overlapping initiatives and partnerships.
The goal should not be to impose a single, monolithic framework, but rather to foster greater coordination, communication, and complementarity among existing and future initiatives, and work towards formalizing and institutionalizing there relations. This is where the strategic dialogue facilitated by CGIMA becomes invaluable.
By bringing together diverse stakeholders in a neutral forum, CGIMA can help build trust, enhance understanding, and identify opportunities for collaboration that might otherwise be overlooked. It can serve as a clearinghouse for information, helping to reduce duplication of efforts and ensure that resources are deployed more efficiently across the region.
Moreover, CGIMA can play a crucial role in ensuring that the voices and perspectives of smaller regional states are heard and incorporated into broader strategic discussions. This inclusivity is essential for developing sustainable, locally-owned solutions to maritime security challenges.
While the maritime security landscape in the Western Indian Ocean may remain multifaceted, strategic dialogue through platforms like CGIMA offers the best hope for navigating this complexity. By fostering open communication, promoting collaboration, and reconciling diverse visions, such dialogue can help create a more coherent and effective approach to securing this vital region. The challenges are significant, but so too are the opportunities for building a safer, more prosperous Western Indian Ocean through collective action and shared responsibility.
Christian Bueger is professor of international relations at the University of Copenhagen where he leads a research group on ocean infrastructures. He is also a research fellow at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), one of the directors of SafeSeas – the network for maritime security research, and author of Understanding Maritime Security published by Oxford University Press in 2024 (with Tim Edmunds). Further information is available at www.bueger.info.
The views expressed in this piece are the sole opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Center for Maritime Strategy or other institutions listed.