EU launches 1st naval mission off Somalia's pirate-plagued coast

The European Union is sending a fleet of ships to the troubled waters off Somalia's coast, in the first naval-crisis management operation ever launched by the 27-member group.

Sixwarships and three maritime surveillance aircraft will arrive in the Gulf of Aden on Dec. 15, five days ahead of schedule.

The early deploymentsignals the urgent need to protectone of the world's most important shipping lanes, said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman forEU foreign policy chief Javier Solana.

"It will be an important contribution to addressing one of the most challenging threats to maritime trade, and particularly to the people of Somalia who have had their humanitarian support hampered by acts of piracy," Gallach said.

About 50 cargo ships move through the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Red Sea and Indian Ocean,each day. Increasing attacks by pirates, however,have forced many shipping companies to reroute their vessels in an effort to avoid hijackings.

The EU formally inaugurates its anti-piracy task mission Monday afternoon.

Its fleet will replace a NATO flotilla that has been in the Gulf of Aden since the end of October, and will take over responsibility for patrolling the region and escorting cargo ships ferrying relief aid to Somalia.

While nearly30,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies have found safelanding in Somalia under NATO's guidance,their efforts have done little to curb pirate attacks.

Operation Atalanta

The new mission, codenamed Operation Atalanta, will be the first naval endeavour for the EU, which has conducted 20 peacekeeping operations around the globe. The anti-piracy task force will be led by British Vice-Admiral Philip Jones.

"This operation under British command, I hope will begin to establish international order in seas that are vital to trade right around the world," said British Foreign Secretary David Miliband.

About a dozen other warships from the United States, India, Russia and Malaysia are also patrolling the region. Four Canadian ships HMCS Iroquois, Calgary, Ville de Qubec and Protecteur have recently helped cargo ships and escorted vessels delivering humanitarian supplies in the region.

At least 95 ships have been attacked this year by pirates in the gulf, while 39 have been hijacked.

Somali pirates are believed to be holding about a dozen boats and 200 hostages after scores of attacks this year. They seized eight commercial ships alone over a two-week period in November, including a Saudi supertanker loaded with $125 million worth of crude oil.

The Somali government has allowed foreign powers to use force against pirates, however,NATO's fleet had been barred from boarding seized ships or freeingthose held hostage under the current United Nations mandate.