Press Releases

Rear Admiral Christian Canova (French Navy) hands over the responsibility of Deputy Operation Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia, Operation ATALANTA to Rear Admiral Rainer Endres (German Navy) on 12 January 2012 at the Operational Headquarters

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 c

On 4 October 2011, the EUNAVFOR warship FGS KÖLN came to the rescue of five Somali fishermen drifting in the Indian Ocean in a broken-down fishing whaler and returned them safely to the shore.

On September 29 the EU NAVFOR warship FGS KÖLN located and destroyed a suspicious whaler close to a beach off Somalia, 100 nautical miles SW of Mogadishu.

EUNAVFOR warship FGS KÖLN has today, 28 September, stopped and boarded a suspicious group of two small boats, a whaler and skiff.

 On 10 September EUNAVFOR Operation ATALANTA assets intercepted and forcibly stopped a suspected Somali Pirate skiff which was involved in the abduction of a crew member from the French Sailing Yacht (SY) TRIBAL KAT.

Rear Admiral Duncan Potts, Operational Commander EU NAVFOR, participated at the “Anti Piracy and Maritime Security Conference” between 6-9 September in the Seychelles.

EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta assets have today, 10 September, stopped and boarded a skiff thought to have been involved in an incident with the French Sailing Yacht (SY) TRIBAL KAT. One member of the crew from the yacht was found safe.

On August 24th, Ambassador Nadjib Riphat Kesoema,  Deputy for Foreign Policy Coordination in the Indonesian Ministry for Politics, Law and Security Affairs, accompanied by Admiral Tri Yuswoyo, Head of the Centre for Law and Maritime Security Cooperation, visited the EU NAVFOR Operation Headq

On 1 August 2011, Major General Buster Howes OBE handed over the responsibility of Operation Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia, Op ATALANTA to Rear Admiral Duncan Potts.

 On 22 July 2011, Rear Admiral Guido Rando, Italian Navy, handed over the responsibility of the Deputy Operation Commander of the European Union Naval Force Somalia, Op ATALANTA, to Rear Admiral Christian Canova, French Navy.

 On the morning of 10 June, the EU NAVFOR German warship FGS Niedersachsen detected a suspected Pirate Action Group (PAG) whilst conducting a routine patrol in the Southern Somali Basin.