BARCLAY TRAINING CENTER, MONROVIA- 7 June 2021: LUIGI RIZZO, an Italian FREMM Frigate, anchored outside Monrovia’s harbor as part of a wider cooperation and partnership project from 4-5 June, 2021.
ITS RIZZO is the sixth Italian FREMM Frigate and the second general purpose version of its class.
Special search capabilities and armaments enable this frigate to execute the whole range of missions assigned to the units of this class: Constabulary Roles including Counter- Terrorism and Surveillance Operations, anti- surface warfare, anti- air warfare, under water warfare, Surveillance and intelligence activities, power projection support including coordination and control of ship- to- shore maneuvers, infiltrations of Special Forces, and naval gun fire support.
The primary mission of ITS RIZZO is to help curb the incidence of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea which has now become the hotspot for illegal activities in recent times.
Increasing cooperation, coordinated maritime presence and partnership among the coastal states, the regional and Maritime organizations of the Yaoundé’ Architecture and the International Stakeholders are the only solutions to face the security challenges at sea.
The docking of this vessel creates security awareness.
Before the arrival of the Italian Navy FREMM Frigate RIZZO to Monrovia, on 2 June 2021 at 1330 GMT, ITS RIZZO conducted an Official Call Video Conference with the below Liberian Authorities: Major General Prince C Johnson, III, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia; Major Theophilus Momo Duo, Commander, Liberia Coast Guard; Lt Stephen Y Kamara, Executive Officer, Liberia Coast Guard; Major Zacchaeus Musgrove, ACOS J3,HQ AFL; Major El-Dorado Nyanti Jebboe, Chief of Public Affairs, AFL; Lt Musa Sillah M, ACOS J4,HQ AFL; Mr. Gregory Sneh Tugbeh, Jr, Manager, Maritime Intelligence and investigation, Department of Maritime Security, Liberia Maritime Authority; Mr. Prince P. Smith, Agent/ Investigator, Department of Maritime Security , Liberia Maritime Authority and Mr. Josiah O. Betoe, Director, Regional Maritime Rescue Center.
During the video conference, a brief presentation about the ship and the reasons for its deployment in the Gulf of Guinea was stated, as mentioned previously. It also stated how the Liberia Coast Guard stands to benefit from the Trans-Regional Network Training.
Major General Prince Charles Johnson, III, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia, thanked the officials of ITS RIZZO for their initiative in providing security against piracy and Maritime Crimes in the Gulf of Guinea, and he promised that the Liberia Coast Guard will support their mission.
