Cameroon Navy to buy two patrol boats from the US

The Cameroonian Navy plans to purchase two 110-foot American patrol boats in 2020, the US Embassy in Cameroon said.

With this acquisition, the navy aims to extend its ability to patrol Cameroon’s economic exclusion zone.

Through 2017, the United States also provided several Defender-class rigid hull boats to the Cameroonian military for maritime patrols.

Starting in January 2020, the United States began its one-year secretariat of the G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group, with Gabon serving as co-secretariat.  This group coordinates the support of international partners for the maritime security standards agreed upon by West and Central African heads of state at a summit in Yaoundé in 2013.

The G7++ Friends of Gulf of Guinea Group helps secure the Gulf of Guinea against the threats of piracy, armed robbery, and other illicit maritime activities. By creating the conditions for improved maritime security, this group is said to foster prosperity and economic growth for all countries along the Gulf of Guinea.

In 2016, the United States funded the creation of six maritime operations centers in Limbe, Douala, and Kribi that enable naval operations at sea, and intends to continue to provide maintenance and training for these centers this year.