1.

ABOUT EUCAP/EUCAP SOMALIA

On 16th July, the European Union Capacity Building Mission in Somalia (EUCAP Somalia) turned ten
years old. For the past decade, the mission has contributed to strengthen Somali institutional
capacities in the maritime and police domains, as well as progressed with legal reform and rule of
law.

In July 2012, the EU launched EUCAP Nestor, a civilian mission which assists host countries develop
self-sustaining capacity in order to perfect maritime security.

EUCAP Nestor is also a non-executive, civilian mission in Africa and as such can serve as a good
illustration for many common challenges. Nevertheless, this mission is in many ways a special case
in that it was the first mission to have a regional focus and the first one to deal with maritime
capacity-building

The collapse of the Somali state in the early 1990s and the civil war that ensued raised the specter
of piracy in the Horn of Africa. The incidence of pirate attacks against merchant ships passing
through the Gulf of Aden sharply increased after the intensification of the armed conflict in Somalia
in 2006. While in 2000, there were only 22 Somali attacks in the Arabian Sea, the number rose to
108 in 2008, with annual costs estimated to 7–12 billion US dollars (Percy and Shortland 2013, p.
2). As a reaction to this unprecedented rise in pirate attacks and following a request for help by the
Somali Transitional Federal Government, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1816 in June
2008. The resolution authorized third states to enter the territorial waters of Somalia and use all
necessary means to repress acts of piracy (UN 2008). As one EU official from the CPCC put it, “the
EU was under pressure by industries to do something. The piracy was very costly for the EU and its
member states […] so this was the starting point”. 25 Consequently, the EU launched its first naval
counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia (EUNAFOR Atalanta) in December 2008. Soon
thereafter, however, it became clear that the naval mission alone could not tackle the root causes of
piracy, which were not on the sea but ashore. In the words of another CivCom delegate, “There was
no point to simply catch the guys in the sea and then what? EUCAP Nestor was launched in order to
solve the problem from A to Z.” 26 Drawing on the EU Strategic Framework for the Horn of Africa
(EU 2011), which called for a regional approach, the EU launched EUCAP Nestor in July 2012 (EU
2012). The mission was the first of its kind both in terms of its regional approach and its maritime
security focus. It had an initial mandate of two years to “assist the development in the Horn of
Africa and the Western Indian Ocean States of a self-sustainable capacity for continued
enhancement of their maritime security including counter-piracy, and maritime governance” (EU
2012, p. 40). The HQ was set up in Djibouti, and soon the mission also opened offices in the
Seychelles, Kenya, and Somaliland.
First established as EUCAP Nestor, a regional civilian maritime capacity building mission focused
on counter-piracy, in July 2012, the mission was renamed as EUCAP Somalia in 2016, with a focus
on Somali partner and based in Mogadishu. Currently the mission is composed by 173 members
and benefit from the direct contribution of 15 European countries that are seconding a part of the
staff.

The mission is part of the EU's comprehensive approach to Somalia and was launched to
complement the two other EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) operations: the military
training mission EUTM Somalia and the counter-piracy EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta.

“EUCAP Somalia gave the maritime authorities the necessary skills and equipment to conduct a basic
coast guard function. Away from the coast, it also helped train some 700 federal Darwish, a robust
police force mandated to secure territories freed from Al Shabbah control. Today, Somalia still faces
massive internal security challenges. But thanks to our CSDP efforts, piracy is no longer a major threat
to international shipping off the Horn of Africa” stressed the HR/VP Josep Borrell on the occasion of
the 15th anniversary of the EU Civilian Planning and Conduct Capability (CPCC) in May 2022.

Mission accomplishments were only possible thanks to the collaboration with Somali actors,
including Ministry of Internal Security (MoIS), Ministry of Port and Maritime Transport, Somali
Police Force (SPF), Somali Maritime Administration (SMA), INTERPOL, National Central Bureau
(NCB). Additionally, with other international partners such as UNODC, UNSOM, UNOPS, IMO and
INTERPOL.

In the Maritime domain, the mission has provided Vessel Boarding Search and Seizure training
facilities — the so-called “ship-in-a-box” —, training and equipment in the three main ports
(Mogadishu, Bossaso and Berbera) and contributed to the construction of the Somali Police Force’s
maritime unit Headquarters in Mogadishu in collaboration with EU partners.
The Mission has also strengthened the Somali Maritime Administration’s (SMA) capacity to set the
framework for its initial operational capabilities, with the provision of technical maritime, and
supported the accession and domestication of international maritime conventions into Somalia’s
legal framework. More recently, EUCAP Somalia was the first EU Mission to deploy a specialized
team for the provision of tailored maritime training, including on how to maintain maritime
equipment.

In the Police domain, in conjunction with other international partners, the mission has promoted
police development and increased Somali Security Forces' interoperability.
On the strategic level, the Mission has contributed to the revision of the Somali Transition Plan
2021-2022 in light of the withdrawal of African Union Forces (AMISOM) and African Union
Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS), with a focus on transitioning from “military to police” to an
enhanced provisioning of security through civilian policing.

The Mission has been working with Somali INTERPOL NCB to increase their ability in combating
transnational organized crime and achieving compliance with all 19 INTERPOL policies, of which 11
have already been achieved. The Mission is also supporting the development of the Action Plan for
Empowering of Women in the Maritime and Marine Sector. The plan was consolidated and
endorsed by the Ministry of Women and Family Affairs in Somalia (MoWFA) and is being
implemented at Federal and Federal Member State Level.

“We are delighted to have reached this milestone, through hard work and dedication, but also thanks
to the fruitful collaboration and the commitment of Somali institutions” remarked Chris Reynolds,
Head of Mission of EUCAP Somalia.

The mission is undergoing a strategic review to assess progress and identify needs and areas of
support for the next mandate, starting from January 2023, with the aim to continue consolidating
on its gains in the next years, strengthen its mandate, and foster the capabilities of the Police and
Maritime Security sectors

Mandate
EUCAP Somalia contributes to the establishment and capacity building of maritime civilian law
enforcement capability in Somalia, including Somaliland.

The EU’s integrated approach:

Eucap Somalia cooperates with the EU Delegation to Somalia and the two CSDP military missions
operating in Somalia (EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta, EUTM Somalia); Coordination and joint
activities also takes place with EU-funded agencies, such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC), as well as with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

2021 -2022 Mandate

In December 2020, the Council of European Union extended the Mission’s mandate until 2022, with
the Mission continuing to focus on assistance to the maritime sector, by supporting the
development of the Somali coast guard functions and maritime security. The mission’s budget
for 2021-2022 mandate is aprox. 86 million Euros.

EUCAP Somalia is based in Mogadishu with field offices in Hargeisa (Somaliland), Garowe
(Puntland), Mogadishu, a sub-field-office in Berbera, and a back-office in Nairobi, Kenya.

The Work

EUCAP Somalia works in partnership with:

- Somali authorities to rebuild Somalia’s maritime law-enforcement and enhance police

capability. The Mission works
- Federal Government and Federal Member States to improve the maritime legal
framework and law-enforcement capacity (supports the development of coast guard
functions, which contribute to counter piracy, human trafficking, smuggling and illegal
fishing as well as many other maritime security issues).
- The Mission also provides assistance to police development (by its interaction with the
criminal justice chain,). The Somali Transition Plan was developed by the Federal
Government of Somalia and its partners to guide the transfer of security responsibility from
AMISOM to Somali Security Forces, which includes supporting civilian rule of law in areas
liberated from Al Shabab. The Somali Police Force plays an important role in ensuring a safe
and secure environment for the population in these areas.

****A record of 39 candidates have registered for the race taking place Sunday, May 15. More
than 300 MPs will be in charge of deciding who will be the next leader of the Easternmost
african nation.

Current president Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed or Farmajo is running again after an attempt
of extending his four years first term in 2021. Former foreign minister, Fawzia Yusuf Adam is
the only female candidate.
 This election will put an end to over a year of political crisis because of a power struggle
between Farmajo and his Prime minister, Mohamed Hussein Roble in charge of organising the
vote.

Somalia has also been facing a turbulent security crisis for the past 30 years. Wednesday
morning, at least 4 people were killed in a suicide explosion near Mogadishu International
Airport where Sunday's election will be taking place. The attack has already been claimed by
the Islamic extremist group, Al Shabab.

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT SOMALIA?

In Somalia, from an early age, children are taught to respect persons that are older than them. This
is part of a cultural process that helps young people to learn respect and be culturally conscious.
Elders are greatly honoured in Somali society, and are in charge of decision making in communities.
It is expected that those of an older age would give orders to younger ones. It is also recommended
and regarded as polite, to call an elder person, ‘uncle’, ‘aunt’, or ‘grandmother’ as a sign of respect,
and when a younger person is seated and an older person comes to them, the young person should
stand up as a sign of respect. It is considered very rude for a young person to beckon, point at, or to
correct an older person. Finally, it is a responsibility of older people to correct younger persons if
they find them doing wrong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oKQrPLWX_I