EU launches anti-piracy mission off Somalia coast

Source: Xinhua | 12-09-2008 08:56

BRUSSELS, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- The European Union (EU) formally launched its anti-piracy mission off Somalia coast on Monday, the first expeditionary naval operation of the 27-nation bloc.

"The Council (of foreign ministers) adopted today the decision on the launch of the EU military operation to contribute to the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast," said the ministers in a statement.

"The operation commander was authorized by the Council to release the activation order with a view to executing the deployment of forces and starting the execution of the mission. The operation is thus launched on 8 December 2008," they said.

Six EU warships and three maritime reconnaissance aircraft will be deployed in the Gulf of Aden to escort World Food Program (WFP)food shipments to Somalia and to protect merchant ships cruising off the Somali coast.

The EU naval mission is commanded by British Vice Admiral Philip Jones.

The mission, codenamed "Operation Atalanta," will succeed a NATO operation which involved four warships and an oiler. The NATO operation will wrap up on Dec. 15, overlapping with the EU mission for a week.

Like the NATO mission, the EU warships are allowed to use force when necessary. "The rules of engagement are very robust with the possibility of using all means, including force," EU foreign and security policy chief Javier Solana told reporters.

The NATO mission has successfully guarded WFP food shipments to Somalia since its launch on Oct. 24, delivering about 30,000 tons of food. But piracy remained rampant despite the presence of NATO ships and a dozen more from other countries, such as Denmark, France, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United States.

Since Oct. 24, pirate assaulted 33 vessels and captured 12 off the coast of Somalia. Every day, over 50 merchant vessels sail through the Gulf of Aden, which is a key trade route linking the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal.

Editor:Zhang Pengfei