Spain has taken over from Britain’s command of a European Union (EU) maritime mission that combats piracy off the coast of Somalia.
Spanish vice-admiral Antonio Martorell relieved British major-general Charlie Strickland as commander of “Operation Atalanta” on Friday 31 March – the day that the UK was originally scheduled to leave the EU.
The official change-over ceremony was held at the Rota naval base in southern Spain. "It is honestly a sad day for the UK ... but it is an exciting day for Spain," said Strickland, pointing out that Operation Atalanta was a “sophisticated, multi-layered operation using hard and soft power to continue to suppress piracy”.
The European Council announced late last year that it would transfer the headquarters of Atalanta from Northwood, outside of London, to Rota ahead of Britain’s decision to exit the EU.
The EU launched Atalanta in 2008 and the number of attacks off the coast of Somalia in the Indian Ocean has fallen from a peak of 176 in 2011 to just two in 2018.
The operation’s headquarters is just one of the European institutions that Britain is losing as a result of its impending EU exit.
