Opening of Kenya Centre fills Africa Maritime Rescue Gap

A large gap in Africa's maritime search and rescue capability has been filled with the opening of a new centre in Mombasa, Kenya, on May 5.

The new maritime rescue co-ordination centre (MRCC) - the first in Africa using Inmarsat equipment - was officially opened by the secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Efthimios Mitropoulos.

The establishment of search and rescue (SAR) facilities in the region is the culmination and key component of a global plan agreed in 1998. Final agreement for a combined Mombasa search and rescue region was signed by the governments of Kenya, the Seychelles and Tanzania four years ago.

Rescue operations

The MRCC and two sub-centres (MRSCs), in the Seychelles and Tanzania, have the capacity to co-ordinate search and rescue operations in the Indian Ocean region and the eastern Atlantic, with the Mombasa centre being managed by Kenya's Maritime Authority.

"The three governments and the IMO have co-operated further in the provision of the housing facilities and equipment for the MRCC and two MRSCs," said Mr Mitropoulos at the opening.

"Private donors have also contributed significant equipment to this project through Inmarsat and the International Mobile Satellite Organization, and deserve recognition and praise."

He explained how co-ordination and control of search and rescue operations had, in the past, been organized by individual countries, resulting in plans being developed along different lines and giving rise to potential difficulties.

"There can be no doubt that inauguration of this facility in Mombasa will help to fill a massive gap in the effective search and rescue coverage between the SAR centres in Oman to the north and South Africa to the south - both thousands of miles away," he said.

"It will play a considerable part in achieving the overall objective of improving the safety of life at sea, increasing the chances that those who find themselves in distress will be able to reach shore safely, and also strengthening the sub-region's measures on maritime security."

Speaking at a workshop on the day, Chris Wortham, Inmarsat's manager of maritime safety engineering, outlined the company's continuing commitment to search and rescue and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).

"Inmarsat has provided safety services for more than 25 years and has made a five-year commitment of US$10,000 per year for five years to the IMO's SAR fund, which commenced in 2005," he said.

"Inmarsat manufacturers have also generously donated all satellite communications equipment for the three rescue co-ordination centres - Nera has donated two Fleet F77 terminals and antennas for Mombasa, while JRC and Thrane & Thrane have donated Inmarsat C and mini-C equipment."

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