Atalanta. Six months later, first assessment (2). A three-sided operation
(BRUSSELS2) Operation EUNAVFOR Atalanta has three main functions: the protection of WFP vessels, .
1) The protection of WFP boats
The priority mission of "Eunavfor Atalanta" is to provide support for the World Food Program (WFP) ships that are delivering humanitarian aid to Somalia. A task hitherto carried out by individual States (France, Netherlands, Canada). But we remember the difficulties encountered by the WFP, a few months ago, forced to beg from each State, in turn, their assistance and protection to escort these boats. EUNAVFOR now has the means to carry out this mission. Which is no small success.
At the beginning of May, more than twenty escorts to Somalia were thus able to take place, delivering 130 tonnes of food, making it possible to feed around 000-1,6 million people every day. An escort from a WFP boat also took place towards North Korea, at the start of the mission.
2) The safety of "vulnerable" merchant ships
EUNAVFOR's second mission is to ensure the safety of merchant ships " the most vulnerable ". Of course, explained Rear Admiral Phil Jones, when the mission started: “ We cannot claim, with a few ships, to eradicate piracy. But we will make a useful contribution to the fight against the phenomenon ". This mission is fulfilled today in two ways.
The establishment of a double “secure” corridor. A corridor was already in place before EUNAVFOR, it was moved further from the Yemeni coast to avoid surprise attacks, and doubled with a descending corridor and an ascending corridor.
Escorts in convoy, for the most vulnerable boats. Around a hundred merchant ships were thus able to be accompanied during around twenty escorts. Even if all the escorted ships were thus able to escape the pirate attacks, the latter did not hesitate, sometimes successfully, to attack ships close to these convoys.
The work is done in close coordination with the other forces present in the area, such as the anti-terrorist coalition, whose HQ is in Bahrain (US Navy) or NATO (which has a "permanent maritime force" (SNMG) in the zone). " We share information, intelligence on hacker activity explains Rear Admiral Jones. This information passes through a secure computer “chat”. The escorts are notably carried out in concert with the other ships of the forces present in the region (CTF, NATO, Russia, India, etc.).
3) Deterrence of piracy
The third mission is to ensure the deterrence and arrest of pirates. An objective which, without being a priority, has today become one of the keys to the success of the operation. Admittedly, the number of pirate attacks has been rising steadily for a year. But two elements make it possible to gauge the effectiveness of the operation. On the one hand, the rate of “successful” attacks has decreased. From almost one in two, it fell to one in four in the first quarter. On the other hand, the number of arrests and prosecutions is substantial.
Finally, as announced by the first commander of the operation, Phil Jones, the multinational forces had destroyed 4 mother ships at the beginning of May. It was all done without bloodshed. Despite the risks of intervention, the operation had only caused three injuries in six months (1 sailor and 2 pirates). All other operations during the same period of time resulted in pirate deaths. On the other hand, Atalanta does not normally carry out a mission to search for pirates, or to free hostages (see box).
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde
Hostage-taking: national zone
Military intervention in the event of a hostage taking is solely up to the flag state. Few countries have used force, the vast majority preferring to negotiate. Two countries are exceptions: France and the United States. In an epic operation, at the beginning of April 2008, after the release of the hostages of the Ponant (a CMA-CGM cruise ship) by payment of ransom, it intervenes directly on Somali territory to recover the pirates and part of the ransom. Six pirates are repatriated to Paris to be judged. Again, in September 2008, after the capture of a pleasure boat, the Square ace, the marine commandos intervened, freed the hostages and arrested six pirates (a seventh was killed in the operation. Third intervention, in April 2009, on a pleasure boat, the Tanit. The hostages are freed. But one dies in the operation, shooting not officially identified (even if the origin seems to be French). Two pirates are also killed and three others arrested. In this type of operation, the military means of the States concerned normally intervene, under their own flag. But other ships intervene in support. Thus during the operation on the Tanit, a German ship, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – which had a surgical unit, was prepositioned in support.
Read also:
- Atalanta Six months later, first assessment (4). Pirates, well organized
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- Atalanta. Six months later, first assessment (2). A 3-sided operation
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