Strategic Communication as a Geopolitical Tool in Maritime Security: The Case of RMSA and the DCoC-JA in Western Indian Ocean

Maritime security cooperation in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) has expanded in response to piracy, illicit trafficking, illegal fishing, and intensifying geopolitical competition. While existing literature largely focuses on capacity building, naval responses, and institutional development, the role of communication in shaping regional maritime governance and African agency remains insufficiently examined. This article examines how strategic communication contributes to regional maritime security governance through a qualitative comparative analysis of the Regional Maritime Security Architecture for Western Indian Ocean (RMSA) and the Djibouti Code of Conduct and its Jeddah Amendment (DCoC-JA). Strategic communication is conceptualized as a cumulative process through which narratives, information-sharing and institutional communication build shared understandings, legitimacy and coordination. The analysis shows an important asymmetry between the two frameworks: the RMSA has stronger links between communication and operational coordination but weaker external visibility, while the DCoC-JA has a more developed communication architecture and broader external reach but comparatively fewer consolidated operational outcomes. These differences suggest that strategic communication contributes to African agency not simply through external messaging, but by enabling actors to construct shared priorities, coordinate action, build legitimacy and engage external partners. The article argues that the WIO constitutes an arena in which a dynamic equilibrium is continuously negotiated between regional ownership and external support, diverse priorities and shared interests, and institutional ambition and capacity. Strategic communication can help sustain this equilibrium and strengthen the resilience and agency of African-led maritime security governance.