O Brasil, os países da Costa Oeste Africana e a segurança marítima do Atlântico Sul: desafios e oportunidades no Golfo da Guiné para a Marinha do Brasil.

Abstract

The increasing exploitation of natural resources in the States of the West African coast induced foreign investments that impacted the development of maritime activities in that part of the Atlantic Ocean. In the Gulf of Guinea region, the threats to maritime security observed, with emphasis on piracy, attracted the attention of the international community, which began to develop strategies aimed at establishing the “Good Order at Sea”, a term adopted by Geoffrey Till. The concept of maritime security has different approaches, incorporating the concepts of Maritime safety and Maritime security related to the perspectives and interests of each analysis. Such approaches are reflected in the content of maritime security strategies developed by the various actors to mobilize their capacities in order to protect their interests. Brazil includes the Gulf of Guinea inside its strategic interest area, a reason that justifies the interest of the Brazilian Navy in developing its own strategies for operating in the region. In this sense, the analysis of the various strategies implemented for maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea, especially States with recognized Naval Power, but also Regional and international Organizations, makes it possible to identify challenges and opportunities for improving the Brazilian naval strategy. Therefore, it becomes relevant to identify in the documents that condition the Brazilian Navy strategic planning, the objectives associated with its performance, in order to elaborate an action proposal consistent with the national capacities and interest.