The European Union has extended the mandate of Operation Atalanta, established in 2008 to combat piracy off the coast of Somalia.

This mission will therefore continue for a further two years and has been extended to cover the waters off the Horn of Africa (the Somali coast, the Gulf of Aden, the western Indian Ocean and certain parts of the Red Sea).

It also focuses on combating illicit trafficking and builds on synergies with the other European mission, Aspides, which protects maritime transport near Yemen.

The Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA), which supports Atalanta and Aspides, has been renamed the Maritime Security Centre – Indian Ocean (MSC Indian Ocean) and has seen its role strengthened.

It should be noted that, following a period of relative calm, piracy is showing signs of resurgence. Yemeni rebels are now attacking merchant ships off the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb, making this area more dangerous.

Source: Paris Normandie, 18 December 2024