On 30 August, after crossing the Strait of Gibraltar, the high seas patrol vessel (PHM) Commandant Ducuing entered the Corymbe operating zone in the Gulf of Guinea. It will remain in this zone for almost 50 days.
PHM Commander Ducuing has been deployed as part of the Corymbe mission for a few days. One of the main objectives of this mission focuses on strengthening France’s cooperation with the countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea in the fight against illicit trafficking in the region.
At the same time, the PHM Commandant Ducuing carried out exercises in anticipation of the nature of the theatre and operations. Beyond its basic training, the crew also carried out exercises in the areas of emergency reactions, disaster response, implementation of boats or implementation of weapons. In addition, the aviation teams practiced the implementation of the on-board drone (SMD-M). This aerial vector is, due to its discretion and autonomy, a valuable tool for the investigation and classification of contacts of interest who may engage in illicit actions at sea.
Thus, the activities are dedicated to the crew’s build-up and preparations for interactions with African partners. While continuing its own build-up, through a series of intensive exercises, the crew is also focusing on searching for and identifying any weak signals related to illicit activities and trafficking by sea, particularly concerning illegal fishing.
Since 1990, one or two French vessels supported by a maritime patrol aircraft have been deployed in the Gulf of Guinea on a quasi-permanent basis as part of Operation CORYMBE. By strengthening the capacities of coastal navies, France is participating in the development of the security architecture resulting from the Yaoundé process.
This common regional vision, established in 2013 at the Yaoundé summit in Cameroon, aims to guarantee maritime security in this strategic area, the balance of which is threatened in particular by IUU (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated) fishing, illicit trafficking and piracy activities. Furthermore, this deployment is in line with the concept of coordinated maritime presence supported by the European Union.