Somali Coast Guard News

As part of the European Union’s efforts to enhance regional states’ maritime security capabilities in the Horn of Africa, on March 15 EUCAP Nestor gave six Nissan 4×4 vehicles, as well as IT and communications equipment, to the Coast Guard of the Federal Government of Somalia in Mogadishu. The EU Naval Force flagship, HNLMS Johan de Witt, helped to deliver two of the vehicles by sea via their Landing Craft Utility vehicles and EUTM staff assisted the teams on the ground. The handover of the vehicles and equipment took place during a ceremony at the EUCAP Nestor compound in Mogadishu…

Closing ceremonies for two training courses carried out by EUCAP Nestor in cooperation with authorities were held on November 14 in the Seychelles. After two weeks of training, 16 lieutenants and second lieutenants selected from different services of the Seychelles Defense Force (Coast Guard, Air Force and SPDF) received their certificates at a closing ceremony held at the Seychelles Coast Guard Academy on November 14 in the presence of the Commander of Seychelles Coast Guard, Lt Col Dine, and other Coast Guard officials.

UK Foreign Office Minister Alistair Burt sets out funding, commits to continuing the fight against piracy & maritime insecurity. $1.135m of additional funding to the UNODC’s Post Trial Transfer Programme, to complete the construction of a new prison in Garowe, Puntland, to hold convicted pirates in facilities that meet international standards. A $100,000 project to tackle corruption in the Somali penal system. As UNODC continue the process of transferring pirates back to Somalia, we face the risk that convicted pirates may seek to secure early release by the paying bribes to prison staff. The project will extend existing anti-corruption awareness training from Garowe prison to all the prisons in Somalia holding piracy prisoners. A $240,000 project to develop the Somali coast guard.