In the early hours of 28 June, pirates took control of the MV Golden Blessing approximately 90 nautical miles off the northern Somali coast. On notification from the Master of the MV Golden Blessing that pirates were on board, the EU NAVFOR German warship Schleswig-Holstein immediately launched their helicopter and reported sighting suspected pirates on board the MV Golden Blessing.
The MV Golden Blessing, a Singapore flagged tanker with deadweight of 14445 tonnes, was carrying a cargo of glycoethelen. The MV Golden Blessing has a crew of 19 Chinese; there are no reports of injuries. The vessel is under pirate control and is now moving towards the Somali Coast. EU NAVFOR is monitoring.
EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EUNAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.