At the invitation of the Joint Operations Center (JOC) in Murray Town, officials from Sierra Leone ministries and agencies responsible for maritime affairs and fisheries joined the World Bank Country Manager, the U.S. Ambassador, and the Charge d’Affaires of the European Union Delegation for a tour and to discuss better cooperation in protecting Sierra Leone’s maritime territory.
Funded by the U.S. Government, the JOC recently underwent upgrades including the installation of coastal radar, a ship transponder identification system, and technological upgrades to computers. These upgrades give the JOC a much-improved ability to combat illegal activities including piracy, smuggling, trafficking, and illegal fishing. The system was successfully tested by Sierra Leone’s Joint Maritime Committee last month in a large-scale maritime exercise hosted by the United States Military’s Africa Command.
Source: U. S. Embassy Freetown, Sierra Leone.
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