Editorial: Time for Cameroon to track movements of its flag-carrying vessel.

The agreement, though a reflection of Cameroon's sovereignty, was interpreted by Western diplomats as "an affront to Cameroon’s Western partners supporting Ukraine".

The signing of the agreement between Cameroon and Russia has been the subject of many debates about the timing. The agreement with Cameroon had raised concern in many Western countries and France in particular. 

What could be the consequences of the signing of the agreement on relations and military cooperation between Cameroon and its Western partners?

The agreement was a renewal between the two countries, but diplomats argued that it risked arousing hostile reactions from Cameroon’s Western partners supplying weapons to Ukraine.

Cameroonian authorities argued that the agreement was not a provocation but a renewal of their military and technical cooperation agreement signed in 2015. It was planned to be renewed in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused a postponement.

When the military agreement between Cameroon and Russia was published, Cameroon’s Western partners did not protest publicly. Nonetheless, an event, such as the United States granting an 18-month “temporary protection” status to Cameroonians fleeing the multiple crises in Cameroon, was interpreted as an immediate reaction by Washington. This was published only three days- April 15, 2022, after the agreement was signed.

Interpreted as part of the consequences, last Thursday, a ship flying the Cameroon flag was seized by Ukraine, for carrying ‘looted’ grain for Russia.

According to international media reports, Ukraine seized a foreign cargo ship "sailing under the flag of Cameroon and detained the captain, on suspicion of helping Moscow export Ukrainian grain from Russian-occupied Crimea".

The Ukraine prosecutor accused Russia of trading stolen Ukrainian grain since the 2022 war began. Ship seizures, however, have been rare and shipping sources said last week's seizure could be as a retaliation to Cameroon's support for Russia.

The prosecutor said it was not the first time the ship was involved in such clandestine operation, explaining that it first entered and exited the Port of Sevastopol, on the occupied Crimean Peninsula in November 2023 and again last May, "violating a Ukrainian ban and international maritime law”.

“While in Sevastopol, the cargo ship was loaded with more than 3,000 tons of grains for delivery to a Turkish company,” Ukrainian prosecutors said. It subsequently entered the Port of Sevastopol to unload cargo from Turkey. 

The "Cameroon-flagged vessel had been working for Russia to export grain to the Middle East", the prosecutor said. 

It had repeatedly docked at the Crimean seaport of Sevastopol, since last year, to pick up several tons of the “looted” products, the statement said.

Sevastopol is an important military hub for Russia on the Black Sea. To conceal its movements, Ukraine said the vessel regularly shut off its GPS tracker and logged false travel information.

Its captain, an Azerbaijani citizen, could face up to five years imprisonment for violating travel restrictions governing Ukraine’s Russian-occupied territories.

It is unclear if 12 other foreign crew members, who prosecutors said were also on board the vessel when it was seized, will face charges.

“The investigation is ongoing to establish all the circumstances of the crime and identify other persons involved in the illegal activity,” the prosecutor reported.

Though the ship flies Cameroon flag, it isn't a Cameroonian ship but the ratification affects the reputation and Cameroon's diplomacy raising questions why such "ghost ships" should be registered as Cameroonian in the first place.

Last January, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, banned ships bearing the flag of Cameroon from sailing on its waters, amid concerns over the safety of the vessels.

Worried about such implications, on March 14, 2024, there was a meeting in Yaounde between the government and the UK High Commissioner to Cameroon, Barry Lowen.

High Commissioner Lowen raised concerns from the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, with headquarters in London, regarding the activities of certain vessels flying the Cameroonian flag.

The IMO had suspected such Cameroon flag-carrying ships were part of the "ghost ship" fleet used by Russia to export oil and sell it for over $60 per barrel, in violation of sanctions imposed on Russia by G7 countries (United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Canada), the European Union, and Australia).

The term "ghost ship" refers to vessels that disregard international regulations and best practices, often uninsured and deliberately avoiding inspections.

After that meeting aimed at combating the clandestine phenomenon, the Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Massena Ngalle Bibehe, acknowledged that the situation "raises questions about the registration procedure for vessels flying the Cameroon flag".

In a statement on April 22, the minister announced the suspension of registrations for vessels navigating outside Cameroonian territorial waters for six months, extendable. 

He also outlined plans for a physical census of vessels operating under the Cameroon flag, during the period to digitise the registration registry. But has that been done?

What Cameroon needs to do to avoid such scandals is to stop registration of such clandestine ships and join the Global Integrated Shipping Information System, GISIS.

It is a database implemented on March 1, 2006, and provides access to various information on international maritime navigation that can enable Cameroon to track its flag carrying vessel movements in high-risk areas.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3170 of Tuesday July 16, 2024