The pirates celebrate in their own way the succession of EUNAVFOR
(B2 in Djibouti) Pirates have celebrated, in their own way, the succession of EUNAVFOR - the European military anti-piracy mission. While at least five to six warships were docked in Djibouti (1) to both resupply and take over command, the pirates seized five merchant and pleasure vessels (see box).
A priori, it is not really the same pirates as in the Gulf of Aden. But other pirates, noticeably better organized, like those who attacked the Beech marten (Ukrainian ship loaded with weapons). An upsurge that worries EUNAVFOR officials. The results so far were not bad since the "success rate" of pirate attacks had dropped from 1 out of 3 before the EUNAVFOR operation) to 1 out of 6. With 5 ships attacked and captured in two days, since Saturday, April 4, this rate "goes up" all of a sudden to almost 1 in 4.
Rear-Admiral Labonne had warned, during the relief, by giving some figures "The operation is still young. It is difficult to make a complete assessment. And you have to be careful. The situation is very changing from day to day. (...) The solution to piracy cannot be global, passing through a political path and the strengthening of the State in
Somalia" Legitimate and, it seems, justified caution...
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
(1) In Djibouti: the French frigate Floreal, left, meanwhile, after repairing the damage, in the Gulf of Aden, and the sloop Commander Ducuing (which leaves on CTF 150 before joining EUNAVFOR), the Spanish frigates Victoria et Numancia, and Greek Psara and the Spanish tanker Della Ensenada Brands. The German Frigate Rheinland-Pfalz was carrying out an accompanying mission for AMISOM (United Nations mission in Somalia)
Five ships seized by pirates (Updated Tuesday, April 7)
Four ships were seized in the Indian Ocean, between the southern coast of Somalia, Kenya and the
Seychelles:
- a German container ship (Hansa Stavander) of 20.000 tons, seized 400 miles (approx. 740 km) from Kismayu;
- a French yachtsman (Tanit) with 5 people on board (French);
- a 700 ton Taiwanese tuna boat (MV Winfar 161), with a crew of 30 (2 Taiwanese, 5 Chinese, 17 Filipinos, 6 Indonesians), seized near the Seychelles;
- a Yemeni fishing boat, with 7 people on board - released on Tuesday.
And a ship was seized in the Gulf of Aden:
- a 37.000 ton freighter (Malaspina Castle), British owned, Panamanian-flagged, Italian-operated, with a crew of 24 (16 Bulgarians, Russians, Ukrainians, Filipinos).
(Photo: © NGV - the Greek commander wishing good luck to his Spanish counterpart, in the presence of Rear Admiral Labonne)
