The Atalanta device moves south, towards the Seychelles

(B2) Faced with new threats from pirates in the Indian Ocean - between the southern coast of Somalia, Kenya and the Seychelles, Eunavfor Atalanta is changing its system (as we announced at the beginning of April, read: EUNAVFOR will redirect some of its resources to the Indian Ocean). This is to protect merchant ships but also fishermen (originally a Spanish request, read: Spain requests an extension of Eunavfor to the south).

This device is evolving day by day.

According to the latest information, it already includes two aircraft and two ships. Thus the Spanish P3 Orion plane, stationed in Djibouti, must be positioned in Mombasa (Kenya). In Djibouti, it could be relayed by a German plane, a P3 Orion (like the Japanese who will also base two planes, read: Japan sends 2 maritime patrol aircraft to Djibouti).

While the French Falcon 50 remains in the vicinity of the Seychelles. At sea, a Spanish vessel remains in the sector - at this time the supply tanker, 'Marks of the Ensanada', which relayed the Numancia. A French ship (under the national flag) should also be prepositioned around the Seychelles (the patrol boat Albatros).

To this must be added the various ships that sail in the area to or from Kenya - for supplies, support for World Food Program (WFP) ships, delivery of pirate prisoners - and can therefore intervene quite quickly.

It is also necessary to point out the French ships - based in Djibouti or Reunion - which pass through the area, such as theAconit which has just come up from the Antarctic Lands and after the intervention on the Tanit, will make several inspections in the Gulf of Aden, before joining the Arabian Sea and Oman to participate in joint maneuvers with the navy of this country.

Agreement with the Seychelles

Diplomats are also in the process of negotiating an agreement with the Seychelles - a troop positioning agreement and a pirate delivery agreement (as with Kenya) - but this does not seem to be quite ready yet.