By Goth Mohamed Goth
The government of Somaliland has appealed to the European Union by enabling the Somaliland Coast Guard and authorities to counter maritime crime at sea and ashore more effectively and to work more efficiently with national, regional and international partners.
Somaliland Minister of Interior Hon Mohamed Ali Warancade and Head of the Somaliland Coast Guard, Admiral Ahmed Aw-Osman Abdi during the meeting withthe European Union External Action Service Civilian Operation Commander ( CivOpsCdr), Kenneth Deane head of visiting EUCAP Nestor mission underlined the need to support in order to succeed against maritime crime in such a tough environment.
The EU CivOpsCdr, accompanied by Mr. de Poncins, the Head of Country Office Somalia Pierre-Aime’ Riccio and members of an EU delegation of experts, landed in Hargeisa, Somaliland. Here meetings were held – among other – with the Somaliland Minister of Interior, Ali Mohamed Waran Ade and the Head of the Somaliland Coast Guard, Admiral Ahmed Aw-Osman Abdi.
In Somaliland the EU delegates visited the Coast Guard facilities of the port city of Berbera, an area where the struggle against piracy and illegal fishing is fought with less than basic means. The Somaliland Authorities expressed gratitude to Deane for the EU engagement in the area, underlying the need to support i From January 26th to 27th, the European Union External Action Service Civilian Operation Commander ( CivOpsCdr) , Kenneth Deane, visited the Regional Maritime Security Building Mission in the Horn of Africa and Western Indian Ocean – EUCAP Nestor – field offices in Somaliland and Somalia.
Being responsible for ten civilian crisis management operations – working under the umbrella of the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) – Mr. Deane, originally from Belfast, United Kingdom, receives at his Brussels HQ reports from different parts of the World. The Somalia visit adds substance to what is written on paper.
“Discussing with real people and seeing how they operate on the ground makes things far more understandable”, explained Deane on the eve of his visit. In order to succeed against maritime crime in such a tough environment.
EUCAP Nestor is a civilian EU mission under the Common Security and Defence Policy which assists host countries in the Horn of Africa and Western Indian Ocean region (Somalia, Somaliland, Djibouti, Seychelles, Tanzania) in strengthening their capacity to ensure maritime security and in particular to fight piracy.
