Maintaining maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean

Subject: IR

Section: Places in news

Context:

The EU’s maritime security force against piracy, Operation Atalanta, confirmed Wednesday the hijacking of a Bangladeshi-flagged bulk carrier with 23 people on board while sailing in Somali waters.

More on news:

Since 1 January 2023, the designation of the Indian Ocean High Risk Area (HRA) put in place by the shipping industry has been rescinded, due to the improved piracy situation in the region.
IMO continues to support signatory States to implement the Djibouti Code of Conduct (DCoC), as amended by the Jeddah Amendment, to enhance maritime security in the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
The European Union Naval Force Atalanta is responsible for maintaining security in the Indian Ocean and has been a benchmark in the fight against piracy for the past 15 years.

About Operation Atalanta:

Operation Atalanta, formally European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia, is an ongoing counter-piracy military operation at sea off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean.
It is the first naval operation conducted by the European Union (EU), in support of United Nations resolutions 1814, 1816, 1838, and 1846 adopted in 2008 by the United Nations Security Council.
Since 29 March 2019, the operational headquarters is located at Naval Station Rota (NAVSTA Rota) in Spain, having moved from London as a result of the British withdrawal from the EU.
It is part of a larger global action by the EU to prevent and combat acts of piracy in the Indian Ocean, and it is the first EU naval operation to be launched.
It maintains its activities to deter, prevent and repress piracy and armed robbery at sea and has extended its geographical scope north of the Red Sea.
It cooperates with the multinational Combined Task Force 151 of the US-led Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and NATO’s anti-piracy Operation Ocean Shield.
The mission was launched in December 2008 with a focus on protecting Somalia-bound vessels and shipments belonging to the WFP and AMISOM, as well as select other vulnerable shipments.
In addition, Operation Atalanta monitors fishing activity on the regional seaboard.

Areas in news:

Gulf of Aden:

The Gulf of Aden is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean between Yemen to the north, the Arabian Sea to the east, Djibouti to the west, and the Guardafui Channel, Socotra and Somalia to the south.
In the northwest, it connects with the Red Sea through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, and it connects with the Arabian Sea to the east.
To the west, it narrows into the Gulf of Tadjoura in Djibouti.
The Aden Ridge lies along the middle of the Gulf and is causing it to widen about 15mm per year.

Red Sea:

The Red Sea (Erythraean Sea) is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia.
The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden.
To the north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez (leading to the Suez Canal).
The sea is underlain by the Red Sea Rift which is part of the Great Rift Valley.
The six countries bordering the Red Sea are: Saudi Arabia, Yemen , Egypt , Sudan , Eritrea , Djibouti
Islands include the Dahlak Archipelago, the Farasan Islands, and Zubair Archipelago.
Key ports of the Red Sea are Jeddah (Saudi Arabia), Port Sudan (Sudan), Djibouti Port (Djibouti), Aqaba Port (Jordan).
Bab el Mandeb Strait: Located at the southern entrance of the Red Sea, connecting it to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.
Strait of Tiran: Situated at the northern end of the Red Sea, separating the Sinai Peninsula from the Saudi Arabian coastline and providing access to the Gulf of Aqaba.