Somalia - Gulf of Aden
Current Operations
EU NAVFOR Somalia
European Union Naval Force Somalia - Operation Atalanta (EU)
Since: 12/08
More Information
EU Naval Force welcomes decision by Seychelles to prosecute suspect pirates (16.05.2012)
(Source:allAfrica)
Today the Republic of the Seychelles agreed to accept for prosecution 11 suspect pirates who were captured by EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) frigate HNLMS Van Amstel on Friday 11 May.
Somali piracy: EU forces in first mainland raid (15.05.2012)
(Source:BBC)
EU naval forces have conducted their first raid on pirate bases on the Somali mainland, saying they have destroyed several boats.
Outgunned Somali pirates can hardly believe their luck (08.05.2012)
(Source:The Guardian)
Few countries are willing to prosecute and most captives suspected of sea piracy are eventually released.
Analyst says Somali pirates have new weapons from Libya (12.04.2012)
(Source:Reueters AlertNet)
Somali pirates have acquired sophisticated weaponry, including mines and shoulder-held missile launchers from Libya, and are likely to use them in bolder attacks on shipping, a senior maritime security analyst said on Thursday.
EU antipiracy force to 'seize initiative' (03.04.2012)
(Source:AP)
The European Union's anti-piracy military force will become more proactive in the fight against pirates, the departing force commander said Tuesday, in an effort to seize the initiative in an evolving battle that is moving closer to land.
EU Council extends Atalanta’s area of operations (23.03.2012)
(Source:Reliefweb)
The Council today prolonged the EU's counter-piracy operation Atalanta by two more years, that is until December 2014. The main tasks of the mission are the protection of vessels of the World Food Programme delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia and the fight against piracy off the Somali coast. Today's decision also extended the force's area of operations to include Somali coastal territory as well as its territorial and internal waters.
EU set to back strikes on Somali pirate lairs (22.03.2012)
(Source:The Daily Star)
The European Union will likely approve plans Friday to strike Somali pirate equipment on beaches, widening the scope of its naval operations four years into a mission to protect shipping. Germany had voiced reservations about plans to allow EU warships to fire at trucks, supplies, boats and fuel stowed on the coast of Somalia, but a minister indicated Thursday that Berlin would now back the plans.
The EU fight against piracy in the Horn of Africa - report (21.02.2012)
(Source:European Union)
The EU Council of Ministers adopted on 14 November 2011 a "Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa" to guide the EU's multi-sectoral engagement in the region. This document sets out the way in which the EU will pursue its strategic approach, working in partnership with the region itself, in particular the African Union, and key international partners.
EU may expand anti-piracy mission to beaches (05.01.2012)
(Source:Al Jazeera)
Germany's foreign ministry has said that the European Union is considering giving its anti-piracy forces the go-ahead to attack Somali pirate bases on the ground. … Andreas Peschke, German foreign ministry spokesman, said on Friday that the "limited destruction of piracy logistics on the beach" is under discussion but "no deployment on land".
EU NAVFOR trains AMISOM vessel protection detachment troops (12.12.2011)
(Source:Reliefweb)
A team of 24 troops from Uganda, part of the African Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) received vessel protection training from French and Estonian troops in Mombasa onboard FS FLOREAL, which is operating as part of the EU NAVFOR. The training was planned as part of ongoing improvements in capability and to enhance AMISOMs drills in response to a potential pirate attack; … .
Council launches EU action to strengthen maritime capacities in the Horn of Africa (12.12.2011)
(Source:Reliefweb)
The Council today approved the concept for a new Common Security and Defence Policy mission to support regional maritime capacity building in the Horn of Africa and Western Indian Ocean states. This decision kicks off operational planning for the mission.
Somali pirate attacks sharply down in November (05.12.2011)
(Source:BBC)
The number of hijackings by Somali pirates was sharply down last month compared to the same period last year. The latest figures provided by the European Naval Force show just 12 attempted pirate attacks in November 2011, compared to 35 last year. … Naval officers told the BBC correspondent this was down to a combination of factors.
Security Council extends authorization for anti piracy measures (22.11.2011)
(Source:Reliefweb)
Condemning and deploring all acts of piracy and armed robbery against vessels in the waters off the coast of Somalia, the Security Council today extended for 12 months its authorizations granted to States and regional organizations cooperating with the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia in the fight against such acts.
Security Council urges comprehensive global response to maritime piracy (22.11.2011)
(Source:UN News)
The Security Council today reiterated its condemnation of maritime piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, noting that the crimes continue to pose a threat to peace and security in the region, and called for a comprehensive international response to the scourge.
Security Council calls for regional cooperation to fight piracy in Somalia (24.10.2011)
(Source:UN News)
The Security Council renewed its call today for tougher anti-piracy measures in Somalia and the wider region, urging all countries to adopt laws and cooperate with international organizations to accelerate the prosecution and punishment of piracy.
'International Naval Forces need to play a more robust role' (03.10.2011)
(Source:âllAfrica)
UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG), Augustine P. Mahiga, spoke clear words on how to counter Piracy off the coast of Somalia on the occasion of 20th Meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Somalia in Copenhagen, Denmark.
West Africa becoming piracy 'hotspot' (14.09.2011)
(Source:AFP)
A spate of ship hijackings off West Africa indicates the region could emerge as a new piracy "hotspot", a global maritime watchdog warned Wednesday after a Cyprus-flagged tanker went missing. … The first six months of 2011 saw 266 piracy attacks globally, compared with 196 over the same period last year, it said. Most were carried out off East Africa in the Gulf of Aden by Somali pirates, who staged 163 attacks up to July, compared to 100 in the first half of 2010.
Japan opens “facility for counter-piracy mission” in Djibouti (25.08.2011)
(Source:ISN Security Watch)
Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF) opened their first overseas air base since the end of World War II in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa, on July 1. The base is intended to beef up Japan’s anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden. This enhanced presence has been warmly welcomed by the government of Djibouti, and by US and French armed forces which have already been deployed there.
German Frigate 'Bayern' joins Operation Atalanta (03.08.2011)
(Source:Reliefweb)
Commanded by Commander Andreas von Kielmansegg, FGS Bayern and her crew have joined the EU NAVFOR taskforce in the Indian Ocean for a five month deployment to protect World Food Programme (WFP) and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) shipping from pirate attack.
Report finds increase in global sea piracy but less successful attacks (14.07.2011)
(Source:VOA News)
A maritime watchdog says worldwide incidents of sea piracy rose this year as pirates, most of them based in Somalia, extended their reach to attack merchant ships from the Middle East and Asia and hold their crews for ransom. The International Maritime Bureau says there were 266 pirate attacks worldwide in the first half of this year, a 36 percent increase from last year. The London-based group says most incidents still occur off the coast of Somalia, near the Horn of Africa.
Piracy: IMO endorses use of armed guards on ships (21.05.2011)
(Source:BBC)
The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) has endorsed the use of private armed guards to protect ships from piracy.
Aid carrots no match for Somali piracy loot (18.05.2011)
(Source:Irinnews)
The vast earnings from piracy off the coast of Somalia leave donor-funded livelihood programmes designed to create economic opportunities for the country’s youth looking like pocket change by comparison, and make the minimal risk of prosecution well worth taking, states a new report on ransom flows.
Ban stresses need for comprehensive global response to piracy off Somalia (18.04.2011)
(Source:UN News)
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for a comprehensive response to maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia, saying the menace is a consequence of the overall insecurity, lack of a stable national government and underdevelopment in the Horn of Africa country.
Piracy at an all time high in 2011 first-quarter: watchdog (14.04.2011)
(Source:New York Times)
Piracy hit an all-time high worldwide in the first three months of 2011 led by a surge in incidents off the coast of Somalia, a maritime watchdog said on Thursday.
UNODC open Somaliland's first prison in 50 years to further tackle piracy scourge (12.04.2011)
(Source:Reliefweb)
UNODC Executive Director Yury Fedotov today expressed his Office's commitment towards building prosecutorial capacity in Somaliland to assist in efforts in dealing with piracy in the region.
Security Council to consider plans for specialized Somali courts to try pirates (11.04.2011)
(Source:UN News)
Recognizing the need for further steps to boost anti-piracy efforts, the Security Council today decided to urgently consider the establishment of specialized Somali courts to try suspected pirates both in the Somalia and in the region.
UN anti-crime office helps build Somaliland’s capacity to tackle maritime piracy (30.03.2011)
(Source:UN News)
The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has voiced the office’s commitment to strengthening the capacity of authorities in the Somaliland to prosecute captured pirates who have menaced maritime trade off the coast of Somalia over the past decade.
Somalia: UN launches new anti-piracy plan calling for greater global naval support (03.02.2011)
(Source:UN News)
The United Nations today launched an action plan to combat piracy off the Somali coast, calling for greater support from national navies to fight a “global menace” that threatens not only international trade but the world body’s delivery of vital food aid to millions of hungry people.
UN envoy proposes special courts to try suspected pirates (25.01.2011)
(Source:UN News)
The United Nations special envoy on maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia today proposed the setting up of two special courts inside the country and one in Tanzania to try suspected pirates, saying the problem in the Indian Ocean was getting out of hand and required “strong and decisive action.”
Pirates seized record 1,181 hostages in 2010 – report (18.01.2011)
(Source:BBC)
Pirates took a record 1,181 hostages in 2010, despite increased patrolling of the seas, a maritime watchdog has said. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) said 53 ships were hijacked worldwide - 49 of them off Somalia's coast - and eight sailors were killed.