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After two months of excellent performance in EU NAVFOR the Spanish Ocean Patrol Vessel (OPV) ESPS Vencedora returns to home base.

Yesterday evening EU NAVFOR warship FS Guepratte stopped to assist Yemenite fisher men in distress. Now she has been towing the Yemenite fishing vessel all night and awaits relief from Omani authorities.

A helicopter from the EU NAVFOR warship FS Nivôse was launched against a pirate skiff leading to the disruption of a pirate attack against the merchant vessel Nordneptun off Zanzibar, Tanzania on the morning of 25 May.

EU NAVFOR HNLMS Johan de Witt has effectively blocked known pirate camp on the Somali coast from access to the open sea.

"Piracy is one of the big challenges of our times, both for the region and for the international community.” That is the words of the European Union representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton.

The EU NAVFOR French warship, FS Nivôse, came under small arms fire on 20 May from the coast in the port of Mogadishu, as the warship provided safe conduct to MV Alpha Kirawira and Petra 1.

EU NAVFOR can confirm that the hijacked Liberian flagged ELENI P has now arrived off the coast of Somalia and is anchored in the vicinity of Garacad.

EU NAVFOR can confirm that the hijacked MV PANEGA has now arrived off the coast of Somalia and is anchored in the vicinity of Garacad.

“We have made progress in the new EU NAVFOR tactics, stopping suspected pirates closer to shore, before they get out in the high seas and do outrages” said Rear Admiral (LH) Jan Thörnqvist, summing up his first month as Force Commander of EU NAVFOR.

The merchant vessels Rozen and Dream-H, sailing for UN World Food Programme with humanitarian aid to displaced persons in Somalia, are now safely delivered to Mogadishu after being escorted by EU NAVFOR Swedish flag ship HSwMS Carlskrona.

On the morning of 13 May a ransom drop was made to the pirate group holding the St James Park at anchorage at Garacaad. The St James Park had been on route to Thailand when she was hijacked by pirates on 28 December 2009.

The Liberien flagged, Greek owned, Eleni P was reported to have been hijacked 250 nautical miles off the coast of Oman on the morning of 12 May. The bulk carrier of 72,119 deadweight and crew of 26 (23 Filipinos, 2 Romanian and 1 Indian) was on route to Kandla in India when taken by pirates.