Madagascar is preparing a national strategy to better manage its maritime space, balancing security, sovereignty, and economic development challenges.
Madagascar aims to turn its maritime space into a true lever for development and sovereignty. With this in mind, a national workshop dedicated to maritime governance and security opened yesterday at the Maritime Information Fusion Center (CFIM) in Ankaditoho-Soanierana. Running until Friday, this meeting aims to better coordinate state action at sea and develop a roadmap to strengthen the governance, security, and development of the country’s maritime spaces.
From the outset, Prime Minister Mamitiana Rajaonarison made a blunt assessment. “The navy does not possess any warships, and our surveillance system remains very fragile,” he stated.
With over one million square kilometers of maritime space, an exclusive economic zone, and nearly 5,600 kilometers of coastline, Madagascar possesses considerable potential. Long relegated to the background compared to land resources, this space is a strategic sector that the government now wishes to place at the heart of its priorities. “One of the most important reforms concerns precisely the governance of our maritime space,” the head of government emphasized.
The government intends to adopt an approach that is both economic and security-oriented, viewing the blue economy as “a growth engine capable of creating more than 300,000 jobs” through better utilization of marine resources.
Madagascar’s maritime space is indeed rich in fisheries, mineral, and energy resources. However, it remains confronted with numerous threats, notably illegal fishing, transnational trafficking, and marine pollution, which compromise its sustainable exploitation.
Due to a lack of sufficient resources, the country still largely depends on its international partners to ensure the security of its waters. “If this issue is truly a priority, we must find the means to acquire our own vessels,” the Prime Minister asserted, emphasizing that strengthening maritime sovereignty requires national surveillance and intervention capabilities.
In this perspective, Minister of the Armed Forces Ely Razafitombo indicated that “modernization and equipment policies for the national navy are already being implemented.” These efforts benefit in particular from the financial and logistical support of the European Union, through the EU CRIMARIO project, as well as the Indian Ocean Commission. These partnerships aim to improve the operational capabilities of the Malagasy navy and strengthen security in the country’s maritime spaces.
Captured & Published at: 2026-07-16 06:11:39 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/07/espace-marin-des-experts-font-le-point.html