The head of the “Somalia” mission would be an experienced Spaniard…

(B2) It is an experienced Spanish captain who will take the helm of the Maritime Counter-Piracy Coordination Mission off Somalia, which the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union should decide, this September 15, in application of UN resolution 1816. The decision must still be confirmed in the Political and Security Committee on September 19.

According to some sources (*), it should be the captain, Andrew Breijo Claur, a Galician - not really a novice... if the information given to me is correct. He will be assisted by a French corvette captain (commander level). Both are already in place in the EU General Staff.

Born in Affection (A Coruña) on April 21, 1957, an electronics specialist and a graduate of the General Staff, Breijo has 27 years to his credit on various ships. He thus sailed on the frigates Asturias, Cataluña and Extremadura and the destroyer Gravina, he also sailed on board the school ship Juan Sebastián d'Elcano and the aircraft carrier Prince of Asturias before taking command of the patrol boats Turia y Atalaya and the frigate Cataluña. He was appointed in March, commander of any ship emblem of the Spanish fleet, the first to bear the name of the current king, "Juan Carlos I".

At the international level, he was still recently at NATO, where he worked in the Operations Department of the Strategic Direction Center of the Headquarters, at Shape in Mons and at the Force Plans HQ in the Strategy and Plans Division. of the Joint General Staff (EMACON).

We bet that with such a man at the head of the coordination cell, it will be able to have an ambition commensurate with the security issues currently in question.

(NGV)

(*) Updated September 15: When I put this information online on Sunday, everything was in the conditional. The information is now confirmed on the Spanish side. You also have all the details of the Mission EU NAVCO, here.