Taking back the seas

The document examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to 'Africanise' its maritime domain through AIMS 2050, specifically by proposing a continental cabotage regime to reduce foreign dominance in intra-African shipping. While proponents argue this would create jobs and economic independence, the paper identifies significant barriers, including inadequate port infrastructure, a lack of skilled seafarers, and limited political will, as evidenced by the low ratification rates of the African Maritime Transport Charter. It further analyzes the legal complexities regarding World Trade Organization (WTO) regulations and concludes that the proposed regime is currently 'ahead of schedule' due to the absence of necessary industrial and governance preconditions.

• The African Union's AIMS 2050 strategy aims to create a tool for sustainable development and competitiveness to increase wealth from Africa's oceans, seas, and inland waterways.
• A successful continental cabotage regime would cover 26,000 nautical miles of coastline and a maritime industry valued at approximately US$1 trillion annually, potentially banning foreign-flagged vessels from intra-African trade.
• Africa's maritime sector is characterized by extreme foreign dominance, with African-owned ships representing only 0.9% of world gross tonnage and 1.2% of world shipping by number.
• Intra-African trade has declined significantly over time, falling from a peak of 22.4% in 1997 to 11.3% in 2011.
• There is a critical lack of political commitment and governance among AU member states, as shown by the fact that only six countries had ratified the Revised African Maritime Transport Charter (RAMTC) as of February 2014.
• The implementation of a pro-African cabotage regime may conflict with WTO rules, specifically the Trade Facilitation Agreement's provisions on the freedom of transit and non-discriminatory treatment.
• The paper concludes that the AU's plan for continental cabotage laws is premature because the necessary preconditions—such as modern port infrastructure, efficient fleets, and skilled seafaring capacity—are not yet present.
• The success of any future cargo control or cabotage measures is dependent on the financial strength of the private sector and capital markets rather than legislation alone.

APA

Ruppel, O. C., & Biam, D. J. (2016). Taking back the seas. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper290-3.pdf

Chicago

Ruppel, Oliver C, and David J Biam. Taking back the seas. Institute for Security Studies, 2016. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper290-3.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ruppel |first1=Oliver C |last2=Biam |first2=David J |title=Taking back the seas |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |date=February 2016 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper290-3.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ruppel2016taking, author = {Ruppel, Oliver C and Biam, David J}, title = {{Taking back the seas}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2016}, month = feb, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Paper290-3.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }