The recently finished Exercise Doraleh in Djibouti is a further example of capacity building and improving training for the Djiboutian Navy and Coast Guard.
The European Union (EU) naval force in the area under the Operation Atalanta flag worked with the Djibouti code of conduct and regional training centre to improve regional co-operation, maritime security and capacity enhancement among nations and institutions involved with maritime security in the western Indian Ocean. The exercise, held from 10 to 14 November, was the first tangible evidence of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed eight months ago.
“The Doraleh regional exercise is an excellent example of how collaborative efforts, particularly with the Djiboutian Navy and Coast Guard, can significantly improve maritime security in the region,” Force Commander Commodore Armando Valente Tinoco said at the opening ceremony.
“Several activities,” according to an EU NavFor statement, were carried out to improve the knowledge and capacities in maritime security of the trainees. The search and rescue seminar covered survival at sea and current and future search and rescue means concerning Operation Atalanta. The legal seminar covered relevant areas of maritime interdiction operations (MIO), counter piracy operations (CPO), counter narcotics operations (CNO) and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF).
Maritime domain awareness (MDA) and maritime training operations (MTO) were also covered. The MDA component addressed different platforms to familiarise participants with maritime safety management technological tools followed by discussions of practical cases. The second consisted of theoretical session workshops on board the frigate and practical exercises at sea including an integration exercise.
Representatives from the Somali Police Force Department of the Coast Guard, Puntland Maritime Police Force, Djibouti Navy, Djibouti Coast Guard, EUCAP Somalia, CRIMARIO, Djibouti Code of Conduct, Djibouti Regional Training Centre and Djibouti Port Authority attended. Doraleh, apparently named after an extension to Djibouti Port, was the first time maritime security forces of Djibouti and Somalia worked with the Seychellois and Madagascan co-ordination and fusion centres.
