Constant vigilance

Anticipating that the pirates will not take a break over the holiday period, neither will the EU NAVFOR units patrolling around the Horn of Africa and in the Somali Basin.

Whilst back at home in Europe the families of the deployed EU NAVFOR personnel celebrate this very special season of the year, the crews of all ships and aircraft of the entire EU NAVFOR Operation ATALANTA Task Force off the coast of Somalia maintain their guard at sea and continue with their duty of securing the safe transport of food to the people of Somalia. With this decision, the Naval Force underlines the commitment of the European Union to ensure the safe arrival of humanitarian aid, so desperately needed by thousands of suffering Somali people. In addition to the escorting of merchant vessels chartered by the World Food

Boarding of a skiff

Programme, EU Naval Forces also continue to counter the threats imposed by Somali pirates on the international shipping community in a combined effort with other multinational Naval Forces in Indian Ocean. Currently, out of the 27 Nations contributing to the Operation, Sailors and soldiers from 13 different nations will be active at sea in Operation ATALANTA, maintaining the force at the highest readiness level.

EU NAVFOR conducts counter-piracy in the Indian Ocean and is responsible for the protection of World Food Program ships carrying humanitarian aid for the people of Somalia and the logistic support vessels of the African Union troops conducting Peace Support Operations in Somalia. Additionally, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

]]> http://www.eunavfor.eu/2011/12/eunavfor-maintaining-guard-at-sea-over-christmas/feed/ 0 http://www.eunavfor.eu/2011/12/merchant-ship-crews-held-hostage-in-somalia/ http://www.eunavfor.eu/2011/12/merchant-ship-crews-held-hostage-in-somalia/#comments Tue, 20 Dec 2011 18:13:13 +0000 EU NAVFOR Public Affairs Office http://www.eunavfor.eu/?p=9695

The Shiuh Fu No.1 fishing boat, pirated Christmas Day 2010; the whereabouts of the crew of 13 Chinese, 12 Vietnamese and 1 Taiwanese mariners is unknown

While the issue of piracy off the coast of Somalia has received significant coverage over the past 4 years, with the exception a number of high-profile individuals, the fate of the merchant crews which make up the majority of those held hostage, is not often considered or reported.

This humanitarian tragedy is especially pertinent over Christmas, a time when families normally gather to celebrate.

There are currently 199 men and one woman held hostage in Somalia following the pirating of their ships in the Indian Ocean and all are being held against their will to be used by criminal gangs as part of a ransom business. Since the start of the EU NAVFOR counter-piracy mission in December 2008, a total of 2317 merchant seamen have been held hostage for an average of nearly 5 months. The longest period in captivity is 19 months for the 24 crew members of the M/V ICEBERG 1, who are still being held.

The PRANTALAY 12 fishing boat, pirated 18 April 2010 and beached on 14 July 2011. 5 of the crew died in captivity, 1 is missing and 4 remain in Somalia following the release of the remainder.

It is estimated that at least 60 merchant seamen have died as a result of their captivity in the hands of the pirates and many more have suffered torture and abuse. 49 of the 200 hostages are held without the collateral of a ship, following the ship sinking or being abandoned which means that their future is less clear as their value is seen as less than that of a ship. Additionally, a recent tactic of the criminal gangs has been to agree to the ransom payment for the return of ship and crew and then hold-back some of the crew when the ship is released to use to negotiate for the release of convicted Somali pirates from the home country of the detained crew members. Currently 4 South Korean and 7 Indian crew members from the M/V GEMINI and the ASPHALT VENTURE are held following the release of the ships.

Today, there are 3 ships abandoned and derelict on the beach, creating a source of potential pollution, whilst their crews, totalling 54 men, remain in captivity.

Piracy in the Indian Ocean affects us all, adding a significant cost to every barrel of oil and every 40ft container which passes through the area. The navies of the world have between 20-30 warships in the region and for the people of Somalia, piracy means that even essential food-aid provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) has to be escorted to prevent the delivery ships being captured.

In the longer term the underlying causes of the piracy crisis need to be resolved within Somalia but at present, the situation for the 200 hostages remains uncertain.

MV BLIDA

The 20,586 tonne Bulk Carrier  MV BLIDA, Algerian flagged and owned, was pirated on the 1st of January 2011 approximately 150 nautical miles South East of the port of Salalah, Oman, while enroute to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from Salalah, Oman.

EU NAVFOR Somalia is a counter-piracy taskforce operating in the area of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean responsible for deterring, preventing and repressing acts of piracy, for the safe escort of ships carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and to protect other vulnerable vessels. Additionally, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia

E.Colombo threatened with AK47

The TRIBAL KAT was attacked by Somali suspect criminals off the coast of Yemen while passing through the Gulf of Aden. Christian Colombo was killed during the attack, his body thrown overboard and his wife taken against her will by the suspect criminals. She was being moved by skiff towards Somalia when by a combination of good fortune, considering the vast area to be searched, and close cooperation between the counter-piracy forces in the region, a complex and dangerous rescue operation succeeded in recovering Mrs. Colombo uninjured.

The SY TRIBAL KAT was only the most recent of about 10 yachts attacked and their crews captured by Somali suspected pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean in the past three years.

Nearly every recorded attack on a yacht has led to the crew being taken hostage and moved to Somalia where they were kept on land, their yachts being discarded. SY ROCKALL was completely stripped of everything onboard including the engine.
On land, the level of risk and hardship on the hostages is increased. They are removed from their familiar environment and exposed to a rough country with a harsh, hot climate. Often, hostages are held in the most basic conditions, i.e. no electricity, no sanitary installations, rationed basic food and water. Pirates have frequently moved hostages at short notice to avoid detection, increasing the stress and strain for the hostages.

The ordeal hostages have to endure can include every form of abuse. Physical and psychological mistreatment can include physical violence and mock executions. In some cases, crews and families have been separated for extended periods of time exposing hostages to the stress of uncertainty on the fate of their partner or child. When hostages were separated, pirates have simulated killing one or more of the hostages with machine gun fire out of sight of the remainder to increase the pressure for a ransom to be paid; the hostages are assumed to be very rich and the ransom demands can be for millions of dollars.

On average, maritime hostages have been held for over 7 months. However, for Paul and Rachel Chandler from the SY LYNN RIVAL, their captivity lasted 388 days in the Somali bush. They were eventually released after payment of a ransom however others are not so fortunate; French yacht-owner, husband and father, Florent Lemacon, was killed in April 2009 during the liberation of the SY TANIT. In February 2011, pirates shot and killed four Americans aboard the SY QUEST off the coast of Somalia when U.S. naval forces were trying to negotiate their release.

The presence of warships from EUNAVFOR, NATO and the Coalition Maritime Force, in addition to other naval forces, in the Gulf of Aden has significantly reduced the success of piracy attacks in this area. However, there remains a serious and increasing threat from piracy from the southern Red Sea, through the Bab el-Mandeb to the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Somalia and into the Indian Ocean. This area is the same size as Western Europe and there are only between 12 and 18 warships in the area, with far higher priority tasking than protection of yachts and their crews, so if attacked, the chance of release is remote.

The risks to yachts from pirates are significant – they operate from one or more small skiffs, able to reach up to 25 knots. Increasingly, pirates use small arms fire and Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) to stop and board vessels. Attacks have taken place mostly during the day, but pirates have also attacked at night. Pirates are likely to be aggressive, highly agitated, and possibly under the influence of drugs, (including khat, an amphetamine like stimulant).

Yachts cannot out-run the pirates and are unable to prevent boarding. Merchant ships, which have higher freeboards and can adopt the self-protection measures recommended in the fourth edition of “Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia Based Piracy” (BMP) improve their chances but even these only delay a determined pirate.

There is only one sure way of avoiding your yacht and crew being captured – freight the yacht across the high-risk area.

Otherwise you could be playing Russian Roulette with your crew and family.

Rear Admiral Christian Canova, Deputy Commander of EU NAVFOR, visited the United States Navy Base Naples, home of the Command, US Naval Forces Africa (USNAVAF) and the 6th Fleet on 19 October 2011.

RAdm James L. Foggo III (left) and RAdm Christian Canova

Rear Admiral James L. Foggo III, Deputy Commander 6th Fleet and Chief of Staff of USNAVAF, welcomed the Deputy Commander EU NAVFOR for this first contact between Operation ATALANTA and the US Command responsible for the US Naval Forces in the Southern Indian Ocean. During the visit the US Operations team briefed the work performed by USNAVAF within the Africa Partnership Station (APS) program which is dedicated to improve the skills and capabilities of the African navies, with the very positive effects this could have in the fight against piracy.

In his briefing to the senior officers of USNAVAF, Rear Admiral Canova promoted a closer relationship between both headquarters, wishing the 6th Fleet a “warm welcome to the club of people fighting piracy”, as a result of the recent spread of pirate attacks into the South of the Indian Ocean. There is no doubt that the complementary skills of both Naval organizations, at sea and ashore for Regional Capacity Building, will lead to closer contacts in the near future between both organizations.

PETRA 1 and AMISOM-RHIB's

EU NAVFOR warship SPS INFANTA CRISTINA left Mombasa’s waters last week to assume the escort of merchant vessel PETRA 1 which carries supplies for the African Union troops operating in Somalia as part of the AMISOM force.

The journey is from Mombasa to Mogadishu and in addition to the ship escort, a Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) of Uganda’s Army was embarked on the merchant vessel during the escort to optimise the safety of PETRA I. Once PETRA 1 is unloaded, both ships return back to Mombasa.

The Spanish warship joined EU NAVFOR – Operation ATALANTA on 29 August 2011 as part of the multi-national force combating piracy in the area of the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The ships and aircraft are responsible for deterring, preventing and repressing acts of piracy, for the safe escort of ships carrying humanitarian aid of the World Food Program and vessels of African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and to protect other vulnerable vessels. Additionally, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

FS Surcouf

On 9th of August the French frigate F711 FS SURCOUF joined the EU NAVFOR Task Force.

She is commanded by Captain Marc-Antoine de Saint Germain, and after intense training her crew is fully prepared to undertake their duties as a Task Force 465 unit.

FS SURCOUF is a modern multi-purpose frigate fitted with an AS 565 PANTHER helicopter and capable of accomplishing a wide series of missions.

Her contribution constitutes a significant effort to enhance the effectiveness of TF 465 in all its tasks and will increase EU NAVFOR’s skills to protect vulnerable shipping, in particular World Food Program (WFP) and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) vessels, as well as to deter and prevent acts of piracy, and to contribute to the monitoring of fishing activities off the coast of Somalia.

Commissioned to the French Navy in 2000, FS SURCOUF has a displacement of 3200 tons, is 124.3 meters long and has 168 crew members onboard.

EUNAVFOR 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). EUNAVFOR also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EUNAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

HS NIKIFOROS FOKAS

On August the 5th and after 88 days, the Greek frigate HS NIKIFOROS FOKAS conducted her last day of operations as part of the EU NAVFOR Task Force.

Throughout her deployment she was assigned to conduct several tasks, such as: patrolling the International Recommended Traffic Corridor, escorting World Food Programme (WFP) and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) shipping, as well as surveying and deterring piracy activity off the coast of Somalia.

EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Commodore Alberto Correia, highlighted the way how HS NIKIFOROS FOKAS successfully completed all the assigned tasks, always being proactive, expressing his profound gratification for the contribution she gave to EU NAVFOR mission.

In his farewell signal, Commodore Alberto Correia said: “In the day you are about to steer northwards approaching the Red Sea and sailing back to Greece, I would like to express my thanks and to congratulate  you and your crew for a well carried out mission under EU NAVFOR flag”.

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 also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EU NAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

FGS NIEDERSACHSEN

On the 5th of August, the German frigate FGS NIEDERSACHSEN ended her participation in Operation ATALANTA after almost five month as a part of the EU NAVFOR Task Force.

On this occasion, the Force Commander, Commodore Alberto Correia expressed his great thanks for the contribution that FGS NIEDERSACHSEN gave to EU NAVFOR’s mission and for the valuable results that she achieved. Whilst deployed she conducted a variety of tasks, including surveillance, patrols, escorts, and one pirate disruption.

In his farewell signal, Commodore Alberto Correia said: ”Your supportive spirit and prompt attitude constituted an example for those to come, and an inspiring encouragement for the crews that are still operating in EU NAVFOR”.

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 also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EU NAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.

FGS BAYERN

Commanded by Commander Andreas von Kielmansegg, FGS Bayern and her crew have joined the EU NAVFOR taskforce in the Indian Ocean for a five month deployment to protect World Food Programme (WFP) and African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) shipping from pirate attack. The ship and crew are completely prepared to assume their duties as a TF 465 unit and her participation continues the German contribution to the effectiveness of the task force in all its operations.
The German Frigate Bayern is a multitask warship equipped with extensive self-defence systems and carries two Lynx MK 88-A helicopters. Commissioned to the German Navy in June 1996, FGS Bayern is a 5,600 tons displacement, 138.9 meters length frigate and has 243 crew members on board.

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 also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. EU NAVFOR finally monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.