EU studies mission to support Gulf of Aden Coast Guard
European Union crisis management specialists are currently studying a new action in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, aimed at providing or strengthening the action of the coastal States (Djibouti, Yemen, Kenya, Somalia - Somaliland and Puntland, ....) in matters of maritime surveillance and in particular the fight against piracy. This action would be part of the Common European Security and Defense Policy (PeSDC) and would thus take place alongside the EUNAVFOR Atalanta anti-piracy operation - already launched in December 2008 - and in addition to the EUTRA training mission for the Somali armed forces - which could be launched shortly -.
A document titled "Possible action for one year European Union CSDP action for Regional Maritime Capacity Building In the Horn of Africa" currently circulating. It identifies a whole series of actions which could be supported by the European Union (which takes up the ideas already developed by the European Commission in its program on the safety of maritime routes: establishment of a training center for coastguards in Djibouti and an information sharing center in Sanaa (Yemen), training of coastguards and other maritime personnel, equipment, development regional cooperation, and strengthening maritime governance, etc An assessment mission was launched in November and the idea would be to put in place several liaison officers in charge of consultation at London HQ.
NB: for the Spanish Presidency of the EU, the launch of such an action in the first half of 2010 would be a valuable achievement after the controversy developed around the capture of the Spanish tuna Alakrana last October.
Read also:
