[Libreville, 9 April 2021] The Deputy Chief of Staff of the Gabonese Navy, LCdr Charles Bekale, in the presence of the representative from the European Union Delegation to Gabon, will chair the closing ceremony of the YARIS platform (Yaoundé Architecture Regional Information System) advanced training programme, held at the naval headquarters in Libreville on 9 April 2021.
Download the press release 
From 29 March to 9 April, thirteen participants from three maritime interest agencies received advanced training on YARIS delivered by two instructors (GoGIN and CRESMAC): Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) from Libreville and Port-Gentil, Merchant Marine and National Agency for the Preservation of Nature (ANPN).
The aim of tailored training is to give staff working in maritime centres the opportunity to use YARIS in an operational context. Delivered in this manner the entirety of the platform’s features are showcased and centres are supported in integrating this tool into their own operational procedures. Participants are put in a position to work on fictitious scenarios on different topics (combatting maritime pollution, illegal fisheries, tracking contacts of interest or responding to acts of piracy..) in order to facilitate the appropriation and integration of YARIS and to measure its value in daily missions.
As a result of this session the operational centres of the administrations involved in the struggle against maritime insecurity will have a deeper understanding of the maritime realm, and will be better equipped to tackle the specific maritime threats Gabon faces.
Sub-Lieutenant Armel MOUNGONGA, Head of the MOC of Libreville, was able to follow the advanced training and observed that:
“The innovative aspect of YARIS lies in the combination of the online interface (social opening) and the operational component, making it an ‘all-in-one’ application. Highly flexible and dynamic, YARIS enables better information management in the long term, be it in terms of acquiring, processing or diffusing information, this, without risk of distortion or loss.
Furthermore, beyond the framework of the Yaoundé Architecture, the platform encourages synergy between national administrations in managing any situation which might occur at sea, which also supports the Action of State at sea. Ultimately, with information and training sitting at the heart of every operation, YARIS is a strong communication channel between operational centres.”
In the coming weeks, this personalised support will be rolled out by a mixed pool of trainers (GoGIN and YA centres) in Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Guinea, Senegal, Sao Tomé & Principe.
To learn more about the YARIS training programme.