...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing...Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) on Friday marked the ninth anniversary of its Operation Atalanta, the successful counter-piracy operation that has greatly contributed to curbing Somali-based piracy off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean.
During the past eight years, Operation Atalanta’s mission has been focussed on four main aspects. First, it protects vessels of the World Food Programme and African Union
...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful...
Mission (AMISOM) to Somalia through close escort protection by EU NAVFOR warships. It also is set up to deter and disrupt piracy and armed robbery at sea within the Gulf of Aden and along the Somalia Coast, and has the authority to arrest, detain and transfer persons suspected of intending to commit, committing, or having committed acts of piracy or armed robbery at sea. EU NAVFOR’s mission also includes protecting the variety merchant ships transiting through the busy and precarious sea lanes in the region. Finally, EU NAVFOR assets monitor fishing activities off the coast of Somalia.
Notable achievements have included the establishment of the International Recognised Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden. Other positive developments include International agreements that allow regional prosecution of pirates from Kenya and Seychelles and other states as well as the Shared Awareness and De-confliction Conferences (SHADE) that have been extremely successful in bringing together national navies not normally associated with the EU, NATO
...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and structure....
or the Combined Maritime Force (CMF).
The operation has also played a critical role reducing acts of piracy and preventing attacks before they happen.
At the height of Somali piracy in January 2011, 736 hostages and 32 ships were being held by pirates. By October 2016, however, those numbers have dropped zero thanks in part to the international naval forces patrolling the area and use of armed guards on merchant vessels.