Maersk Alabama evades pirate attack off Somali coast 18.11.2009 - On the early morning of 18 November 2009, 350 nautical miles east from the Somali coast, pirates attacked MV Maersk Alabama, a US flagged, Danish owned, 155 meter long, Container ship.
Pirates fired automatic weapons on MV Maersk Alabama who responded with fire from an embarked Vessel Protection Detachment. The crew managed to repel the attack and no casualties were reported. The vessel was previously hijacked in April 2009.
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Rear Admiral Hudson in his Office in Northwood (source: www.mschoa.eu)
Deeply concerned by the outbreak of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast, the European Union is conducting military operation EUNAVFOR Somalia (operation "Atalanta"), in support of UN Security Council Resolutions 1814 (2008), 1816 (2008), 1838 (2008) and 1846 (2008) in order to contribute to:
- the protection of vessels of the WFP (World Food Programme) delivering food aid to displaced persons in Somalia;
- the protection of vulnerable vessels cruising off the Somali coast, and the deterrence, prevention and repression of acts of piracy and armed robbery off the Somali coast.
Operation EUNAVFOR reached its Initial Operational Capability on 13 December 2008 and Full Operational Capability in February 2009. This operation, which is the first EU maritime operation, is conducted in the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). The EU Council decided on 15 June 2009 to extend the Operation's mandate for another year from its current end date of 13 December 2009.
The EU participates in the work of the International Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia and has established cooperative frameworks and arrangements to enable Operation Atalanta to cooperate effectively with other naval forces and assets deployed in the region.
The Council noted that a broad involvement of all interested actors/parties to build institutional capacity and restore the Law and Order ashore is required to provide a lasting response to the root causes of piracy. The International Conference in support of the Somali Security Institutions held in Brussels on 23 April 2009 represented an important contribution towards the establishment of the Somali Security forces and the civilian Somali Police Force in line with the Djibouti Agreement of August 2008.
On 27 July 2009, the Council decided to step up its engagement for promoting peace and development in Somalia. The EU efforts will be closely coordinated with all relevant actors, in particular the UN and the African Union.