The European Union will remain fully engaged in Somalia: this is the message conveyed in the first week of February by the EU during a visit in Mogadishu by senior representatives operating under the EU Common Security and Defence Policy.

For the first time, General Håkan Syrén, Chairman of the EU Military Committee, Rear Admiral Duncan Potts, Operation Commander of the EU NAFVOR - Operation Atalanta, and Colonel Michael Beary, Commander of the EU Training Mission for Somalia (EUTM), paid a joint visit to the Somali authorities in Mogadishu. They reiterated with the members of the Joint Security Committee, which includes senior representatives from the Transitional Federal Government and regions including Puntland and Galmudug, the EU's intention to enhance peace and security and to counter piracy in Somalia.

The meetings confirmed the need for closer cooperation with the Somali authorities to further strengthen Somali security forces and to improve law and order, with a view to improve the daily lives of the Somali people. The EU officials also stressed that security gains can only be sustainable when the political process moves forward as well. "The Somali security concerns are our concerns as well and we need to tackle them together" said Rear Admiral Potts.

The possible upcoming EU civilian mission – augmented with military expertise – to strengthen maritime capacities in the Horn of Africa was also discussed with the Somali partners. Complementing the successful EU NAVFOR Atalanta operation at sea, this mission would, inter alia, assist Somali and regional efforts to counter piracy on land.

Factsheet on EUNAVFOR Atalanta – website
Factsheet on EUTM Somalia – website
Factsheet on the possible upcoming mission to support regional maritime capacity building in the Horn of Africa and the Western Indian Ocean

"To be able to respond to the complex threats of the 21st century we must mobilise all our levers of influence – political, diplomatic, economic, as well as our civil and military crisis management tools. This is the idea of the "comprehensive approach" foreseen in the Lisbon Treaty.

My objective today is to encourage you in your work to develop the military capabilities that will ensure CSDP remains an effective component of the EU's response. If Europe is to be a credible player in the world, it requires more than just soft power.

Military capabilities matter and that is why pooling and sharing – allowing the development of key capabilities with limited resources – is so important. It is a political imperative if CSDP is to progress, especially in a climate of austerity. The European Defence Agency has a key role to play in bringing member states and industry together to deliver projects (...).

This conference is an important step towards advancing our collective thinking on how to harness defence resources through Pooling & Sharing, setting the strategic priorities for Europe’s defence technological and industrial base and increasing the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the defence market."

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