Croats will join Operation Atalanta

(B2) A new logo will soon hang in the command room of Northwood. The Croats should indeed soon join the European anti-piracy operation EUNAVFOR Atalanta. The decision in principle has already been taken on the Croatian side (approved by the national Parliament) who have submitted a proposal to Brussels. And on the EU side it should be done quickly. The 27 ambassadors of the Political and Security Committee (COPS) must, in fact, approve the principle of this participation this Wednesday (June 10). It will then remain to negotiate the agreement
specifying the concrete terms of this participation (funding, liability, logistics, etc.).

Croatian participation should remain modest, symbolic one might say, in terms of numbers. According to my sources, about 5 officers and non-commissioned officers could take part in Operation Atalanta, essentially at the Operation Headquarters (in Northwood), at the FHQ (on the flagship or in Djibouti), or even on the other boats in the area. Even modest, these numbers could also be useful on the spot. If only because they speak a Slavic language, more or less understood by many nationalities of sailors (Russian, Ukrainian, Polish...).

Many sailors currently employed on merchant ships are Croats. About 14.000 Croatian sailors are employed worldwide, according to the Croatian Maritime Union. And several have already (or are still being held) hostage. Thus the Sirius Star, the Saudi tanker, captured in November 2008, included Croatian sailors. Like the Belgian minesweeper attacked in mid-April, the Pompeii (which had four) or the Italian tug Buccaneer, captured in early April, had a Croatian sailor. The Croatian flag is also flown on the seas. The Donat had thus been attacked at the beginning of January, which had led to the intervention of the French frigate Jean de Vienne and the arrest of around twenty pirates.

... So Dobrošli (welcome) Croats aboard Atalanta.

NB: Croatia is already taking part in several European operations: Eufor Bosnia-Herzegovina (Althea), Eupol Afghanistan, Eulex Kosovo. It also took part in Operation Eufor Tchad.