[Douala, 23 April 2021] The Head of Maritime Multinational Coordination Centre (MMCC) zone D will chair the closing ceremony of the YARIS (Yaoundé Architecture Regional Information System) advanced training programme, held at the seat of MMCC D, in Douala, 23 April 2021. Download the press release 
From 12 to 23 April, sixteen participants from MMCC zone D and Betseng patrol boat (patrol boat provided by Gabon) received advanced training on YARIS, delivered by a mixed team of three instructors from GoGIN and from the ICC- Interregional Coordination Centre. They thus join the community of YARIS user centres, in particular that of the three operational coastal surveillance centres (COSCO Douala, Kribi and Limbe), which received the same training at the beginning of April.
The aim of in-person 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 the centre is supported in integrating this tool into its 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.
Cdr Sylvestre Fonkoua, Head of MMCC zone D, was able to follow the advanced training and observed that:
“The YARIS tool allows us to have precise information on the suspect quickly and on time and facilitates the optimization of our response capacity. I welcome this judicious training and urge my staff to capitalize on the lessons received to fight more effectively against maritime piracy which abounds in the maritime space of the Gulf of Guinea.”
In the coming weeks, this personalised support will be rolled out by a mixed pool of trainers (GoGIN and YA centres) in Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Senegal, Sao Tome & Principe.
In time, trained teams will be able to use the YARIS platform to ensure on a daily basis, improved maritime surveillance, sharing of operational or institutional information, and effective coordination of operations when necessary.
To learn more about the YARIS training programme.