Wallenius Wilhelmsen, a vessel for shipping and vehicle logistics, arrives at the port of Mombasa on December 29, 2023. What remains largely unspoken is that African waters are key to global stability, yet African states don’t control the governance of their maritime zones.
At a recent high-level debate at the United Nations Security Council, global leaders gathered to confront what has become an undeniable truth. The maritime domain is no longer just a space of commerce. It is a theatre of geopolitical competition, digital infrastructure, and hybrid threats. The tone was urgent. The consensus was clear. Freedom of navigation, global supply chain stability, and maritime domain awareness were all underscored as priorities for international peace and economic resilience.
Yet as statement after statement filled the chamber, some bold, some tactical, many assertive, one reality became unmistakably clear. Africa was once again peripheral in the very conversation that should have placed it at the centre.
