Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The European Union (EU) will not organize an operation to block rebel-held ports in Somalia, an EU official said in Brussels on Tuesday.
During a meeting of the EU Political and Security Committee (PSC), Spain, which takes over the rotating presidency of the European Council, proposed that warships of the Atalante mission against piracy in the Indian Ocean, blocked ports where pirates docked with ships they had hijacked.
Speaking to the press, a European Union spokesman, however, said such an operation was technically impossible to carry out due to the large number of ports - 70 altogether - likely to be used by pirates.
"Such an operation might require the use of a huge number of ships and sailors for a long time, which is quite difficult," the spokesman said.
Many ships and planes are currently taking part in the Atalante mission launched in December 2008 by the European Union in line with the resolution by the UN Security Council to combat piracy in the Indian Ocean.
The first objective of the Atalante mission is to protect World Food Programme (WFP) ships which carry food, medicine and other humanitarian items to over 1 million internally displaced Somali people due to clashes between rebels groups and government forces.
The spokesman said PSC would likely extend the Atalante mission's mandate which is due to end in December 2010.
On Monday, Somali pirates released the Greek "Maran Centauraus" supertanker and its crew seized last November after receiving from the ship owner a US$7 million ransom.
According to a International Maritime Organization (IMO) report, piracy acts increased by 40% in 2009, half of which were carried out by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean.
Besides, the report said up to late December, pirates were holding 12 hijackedships and over 260 crew members.
Source: PANA