Liberia Participates in Exercise Obangame Express 2025; ReaffirmsCommitment to Maritime Security

The Liberia Coast Guard participated alongside thirty African nations in Exercise Obangame Express 2025, a
two-week intensive training aimed at strengthening regional collaboration and
reaffirming their commitment to maritime security in the Gulf of Guinea and the
Atlantic Ocean.

According to the United States Embassy accredited near Monrovia, more than
30 ships and multiple aircraft took part in exercises focused on piracy
interdiction, illegal fishing enforcement, oil platform protection, and
maritime search-and-rescue operations.

In a release issued late Monday, the U.S. Embassy stated that this year’s
exercise centered on enhancing regional coordination, expanding maritime
security, and improving operational readiness.

As part of the exercise, the Ghana Navy hosted one of 21 maritime operations
centers, where Liberia Coast Guard personnel received training. Observers from
the U.S. Navy also assisted the Liberia Coast Guard during exercises conducted
in Liberian waters, which included integrated operations with ships from the
Italian and Côte d’Ivoire Navies.

Obangame Express,
now in its 14th iteration, is the largest multinational maritime exercise in
West and Central Africa. It is led by the U.S. Sixth Fleet and supported by
U.S. Africa Command.

The name “Obangame” comes from the Fang language, meaning “togetherness,”
reflecting the exercise’s core objective of promoting unity and cooperation
among regional maritime forces.