EU Extends Anti-Piracy Operation

Foreign ministers agree to expand to Seychelles, stay to end of 2010

European Union foreign ministers agreed June 15 to extend an anti-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia until the end of 2010.

 

The ministers, meeting in Luxembourg, also approved an earlier decision to extend the geographical scope of Operation Atlanta to the Seychelles, which has experienced an upsurge in pirate attacks on merchant shipping.

 

Operation Atlanta, which was launched last December, was originally mandated to run until the end of this year.

 

Today's agreement follows a decision by NATO defense ministers last week to send a separate mission of up to eight warships to the Horn of Africa.

 

The joint EU operation consists of eleven warships, two supply ships and two spotter planes from the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Greece.

Since the operation was launched, the EU warships have detained over 50 suspected pirates who have been handed over to the Kenyan authorities under a deal agreed upon in March.

 

(Source: Journal of Commerce)