CLARIFICATION
By: Yusuf M Hasan
Somalilandsun – The EU Naval force Somalia has denied placing boots on land in any part of Somalia in pursuit of pirates.
According to Mr. Timo M. Lange, the Media Operations Officer Naval Force Somalia, media reports purporting that NATO has decided to allow their ships to fire at land targets is factual wrong.
The Media operations officer was reacting to a an article posted by Somalilandsun titled ‘Pity the Poor Pirates’ that indicated that EU Naval force Somalia has decided to allow their ships to fire at land targets, information Mr. Lange termed factually wrong.
While setting the record straight the activities of the EU’s counter piracy Operation Atalanta in the Gulf of Aden informed as follows:
In May following the decision taken on 23 March 2012 by the Council of the European Union to allow the EU Naval Force to take disruption action against known pirate supplies on the shore, EU forces conducted an operation to destroy pirate equipment on the Somali coastline.
The operation was conducted in accordance with the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1851 and has the full support of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.
The focused, precise and proportionate action was conducted from the air and at no point did EU Naval Force boots go ashore.
Operation Commander Rear Admiral Potts said The EU Naval Force action against pirate supplies on the shoreline is merely an extension of the disruption actions carried out against pirate ships at sea, and Operation Atalanta remains committed to fighting piracy off the Horn of Africa and the humanitarian mission of protecting World Food Programme ships that bring vital aid to the Somali people.
Follow this link to read ‘Pity the Poor Pirates’ http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/world/somalia/1127-somalia-pity-the-poor-pirates-
