On 24 July Force Commander of the European Naval Force Somalia Operation Atalanta (EU NAVFOR), Rear Admiral Jean-Baptiste Dupuis, met with the Omani authorities in Salalah (Oman) to deepen the excellent operational cooperation between Operation Atalanta and the Royal Navy of Oman.
Following a twelve day patrol in the Somali Basin and the Gulf of Aden, this port visit allowed Rear Admiral Dupuis to meet Captain Amer Al-Zakwani , commander of the southern sector of the Omani royal navy.
All three welcomed the contacts and exchanges of information performed daily for several weeks, via the secured internet network Mercury, which connects all anti-piracy stakeholders. Being in contact with many Somali cargo dhows calling in Salalah, the Royal Navy of Oman provides essential regional information, while in exchange Operation Atalanta can provide information such as the position of Omani flagged dhows in the High Risk Area.
Besides the exchange of information related to piracy, the call for help last week from a fishing dhow has highlighted the effectiveness of such exchanges. In coordination with the EU Naval Force Atalanta and NATO, the Royal Navy of Oman had sent one of its vessels to assist and eventually tow the dhow to Salalah.
The Minister of State, Governor of Dhofar (one of the four governorates of the Sultanate of Oman) Sayyid Mohammed bin Sultan al-Busaidi also received Force Commander Rear Admiral Dupuis and HEMr Yves Oudin , ambassador of France, during the three day port visit.
The FS Marne sailed again on July 26 for one week before reaching Djibouti, where French Rear Admiral Jean-Baptiste Dupuis shall handover command to Rear Admira l Enrico Credendino from Italy.
[mappress] Naval Today Staff, August 2, 2012; Image: EUNAVFOR