12 Maltese soldiers deployed to Somali coast

 
Sunday, April 04, 2010

Operation ‘Atalanta’ is mandated by the EU Council within the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) in support of UN Security Council resolutions. The scope is to deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery on vulnerable vessels along the Somali coast and beyond. Operating since December 2008, EUNAVFOR ‘Atalanta’ is the first ESDP maritime operation. The EU Council has recently decided to extend the Operation’s mandate for another year until 12 December. Malta has already been contributing one officer at the mission’s headquarters, located at British Armed Forces base of Northwood, in Hertfordshire.

The AFM detachment of soldiers form part 1st Regiment’s ‘C’ (Special Duties) Company, and will be led by Captain Daren Micallef and Lieutenant Joseph Degiorgio. Capt. Micallef had already served a six-month tour of duty at the operational headquarters for this same mission. While onboard the Johann De Wilt for their four-month tour of duty, the AFM contingent will augment the vessel’s Dutch Royal Marines detachment.

The Maltese soldiers forming part of the detachment deploying overseas are all volunteers for the mission. They all have been undergoing intense local training in the run up for this deployment for the past five months, sharpening their skill-at-arms levels while already having a good level of training both locally and overseas. In fact, a number of them have completed various overseas courses with the United States Marine Corps with top honours.

Malta is contributing to the mission as it is one of the larger ship-register flag states, and given the number of Maltese registered vessels that have been attacked in the past by Somali pirates. Malta also has an interest in contributing towards the peace and stability in Somalia, since many third country nationals that land here originate from this conflict stricken region.

During a ceremony held last week at 1st Regiment in Lyster Barracks, Hal Far, AFM Commander Brigadier Martin Xuereb addressed the detachment’s personnel, showing his appreciation for the hard training they undertook for this major overseas AFM mission. Reminiscing on his younger days as a subaltern in the regiment, Brigadier Xuereb reminded the soldiers that they were each an ambassador for their country while overseas. “The regiment has made great strides from its first overseas operational missions to Kosovo, when it led convoys of humanitarian supplies to the war-stricken Balkan region,” he said.

Lieutenant Colonel Mario Borg, the regiment’s Commanding Officer, also announced the setting up of a purposely organised “Families and Next-of-Kin Networking” initiative which is being supported by the unit’s own Headquarters with the aid of the AFM’s Chaplaincy and Medical Centre. The networking between the deployed soldiers’ families will serve to ease information communication and dissemination, and help allay any individual welfare queries that may arise. Lt. Col. Borg also presented a unit flag to the detachment’s commander, Capt. Micallef, for use during this deployment.

1st Regiment AFM is an infantry battalion which predominantly performs a number of local internal security duties at various key localities in Malta and Gozo. Its ‘C’ (Special Duties) Company is the AFM’s ‘Quick Reaction Force (QRF), which is made up of highly trained personnel performing extra high-risk special duties within their unit’s remit of various security tasks and responsibilities.