EU winning war on piracy on EA waters

BY EUGENE OMILO     DEC2, 2009          N- EU NAVFOR  TOUR

European Union special envoy to Somalia Georges-Marc Andre has said the EU has attained the first steps towards bringing peace and stability to the horn of Africa nation.

He said the presence of the EU Naval force off the coast of Somalia has brought down piracy activities in the East African Coast having seized a total of 75 suspected pirates since the surveillance ships started their operations one year ago.

The suspects have all been handed over to the Kenya judicial system for trial in accordance with an agreement reached between the EU and the kenyan government in march this year.

“Piracy is a real problem and our forces are working in collaboration with African Naval forces to bring an order in the international waters,” said Andre who was addressing a press confrence aboard EU’s Navfor docking in Mombasa yesterday.

He said the EU is collaborating with the African Union to help the transitional fedaral government of Somalia overcome piracy activities in the Indian Ocean which have been rampant in the Gulf of Eden.

The EU Naval Force Operations Commander Admiral Peter Hudson said their mission is to safeguard civilian vessels plying the Somalia Coast as welll as providing humanitarian Aid by accompaning World Food Programme ships delivering food aid to Somalia.

He said the EU force has been working hand in hand with the shipping industry to protect vulnerable vessels in the Indian Ocean.

The two were speaking during a Media day with the EU Navfor crew held at the port of Mombasa where journalists from Kenya and Somalia had been invited to get aquinted with the operations of the EU Naval forces.

Navfor’s second in command Liuetenant Alexander Renault said their latest conquest involved the capture of twelve suspected pirates about 1000 miles off the Somalia coast in April.

 The pirates were sailing  in a ship transporting 17 barrels of fuel each with a 200 litre capacity and two assault skiffs.

Admiral Hudson said the ship is now bound to Djibouti for for press familiarization