EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

Wednesday 25 August, EU NAVFOR Italian frigate LIBECCIO visited a fishing dhow in the eastern part of the Gulf of Aden. These kind of friendly visits on board non suspected vessels are crucial to collect information about piracy and help create an understanding of EU NAVFOR in the area.

The warship’s boarding team was assisted by an officer from the Djiboutian Navy embarked on board the Italian frigate, as a linguist. EU NAVFOR has recently signed an agreement with the Republic of Djibouti’s Navy to embark sailors on board TF 465 ships as Somali linguists and cultural advisors.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Programme (WFP) and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). EU NAVFOR furthermore protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. Finally, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.