Nineteen African navies and seven partner nations have deployed to the Gulf of Guinea for the ninth edition of the Grand African Nemo maritime exercise, running from October 27 to November 6, 2026. Co-organized by Benin’s Maritime Prefecture and France’s Atlantic Maritime Zone Command, the multinational drills test regional defenses against illegal fishing, piracy, and marine pollution.
The large-scale deployment follows an official launch ceremony held on October 28, 2026, at the Benin Royal Hotel in Cotonou, as reported by La Nation Bénin. Orchestrated by Corvette Captain Libertie Fantodji under the aegis of the National Authority for State Action at Sea, the gathering brought together high-ranking military and diplomatic officials to address persistent security vulnerabilities in West Africa’s vital maritime corridor.
Originally established in San-Pédro, Côte d’Ivoire, in 2018, the Grand African Nemo initiative has steadily expanded its footprint. The operation deployed across the entire Gulf coastline in 2019 with 19 coastal nations and six partners, before fluctuating through subsequent iterations—such as gatherings involving 17 coastal states and eight partners in October 2022, and 16 coastal states alongside nine partners drawing over 4,000 personnel in November 2024, La Nouvelle Tribune reported.
Operational Maneuvers Across Beninese Waters
In Benin, active exercises concentrate off the coast between Ouidah and Sèmè-Podji. Command centers at the maritime prefecture, the national navy, and advanced posts of the Beninese Civil Protection Agency are directing the sequence of tactical simulations.
Exercise Grand African NEMO 2026 has officially been launched on Wednesday 28 October 2026, at the Multinational Maritime Coordination Centre (MMCC) headquarters, Zone F, Osu Castle. The exercise aims at strengthening regional cooperation in tackling maritime security threats in… pic.twitter.com/hM94EngCOQ
From November 2 to November 4, participating units execute the “Special Polmar 2026” training module, focusing explicitly on managing accidental offshore oil spills. Lieutenant Commander Régis Agossou, head of operations at the Maritime Prefecture, outlined that this environmental defense phase combines naval vessels, aircraft, semaphore stations, and land-based laboratories to test interministerial coordination and rapid decision-making.
Following the environmental drills, a simulated trial is scheduled for November 5 to evaluate the operational readiness of judicial authorities in prosecuting maritime infractions. The entire exercise series is set to conclude on November 6, operating under the framework of the 2013 Yaoundé Code of Conduct.
Regional Fleets Target Illegal Fishing and Smuggling
Across the wider Gulf of Guinea, participating fleets are executing parallel operations tailored to local security threats. In Ivorian waters, the National Navy initiated targeted crackdowns against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing on October 29, 2026, according to Koaci.
Led by Frigate Captain Guié Ghislain, the Ivorian operations deploy the high seas patrol vessel Contre-Amiral Fadika and the coastal patrol boat Le Bouclier. These assets work alongside the gendarmerie, police, customs, and fisheries directorates to enforce maritime regulations and protect dwindling halieutic resources.
| Exercise Edition | Timeline | Participating Coastal States | Partner Nations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inaugural Edition | 2018 | Not specified | Not specified |
| Gulf-wide Expansion | 2019 | 19 | 6 |
| Expanded Deployment | November 4–11, 2024 | 16 | 9 |
During the opening sessions in Cotonou, Beninese Maritime Prefect Rear Admiral Maxime Ahoyo emphasized that the Gulf of Guinea remains critical for international trade and the blue economy, requiring constant vigilance through intelligence sharing and robust institutional synergy. Echoing these points, Battalion Commander Vincent Anthonioz—representing France and the Atlantic Maritime Zone Command—reaffirmed European backing for regional maritime security frameworks like the Yaris information-sharing architecture.
