On 30 November 2014 Royal Netherlands Navy warship, HNLMS Van Speijk and Belgian Navy warship, BNS Leopold I, completed their tour of duty with the EU Naval Force off the coast of Somalia.
HNLMS Van Speijk joined the EU Naval Force on 24th August and during the last three months she has completed a range of tasks. These tasks have included the escort of two World Food Programme vessels along the Somali coast to protect them from pirate attack, as well as meeting a number of local seafarers to better understand the pattern of life of fishing communities in the area.
When visiting Djibouti port, the Dutch warship also assisted staff from EU sister mission, EUCAP Nestor to train members of the Djiboutian Coast Guard, Somali Port Control Officers and the East Africa Stand-by Force.
BNS Leopold I joined the EU Naval Force on 30th August. The Belgian warship also took the opportunity to local seafarers in the area and during a visit to Dar es Salaam, conducted training with the Tanzanian Navy.
Both ships are now heading towards home to rejoin their families and friends, proud of their contribution to the European Union’s efforts to deter and disrupt piracy off the coast of Somalia.