The EU’s flagship naval operation risks losing permission to pursue pirates in Somalia’s waters due to local politics, The Somalian federal government, in December, agreed to extend a UN mandate for the EU operation, called Atalanta, for just three months…
And its future intentions were “rather ambivalent” and “to be doubted”, according to an internal EU foreign-service paper, dated 5 January and seen by EUobserver, Somalia’s new “posture towards the international presence [is] … to be seen in the context of [Somalia’s] ongoing electoral process, notably increasing tensions and electoral fragmentation,” the EU said.
And as they prepared for presidential elections “likely to take place in June”, the Somalian powers that be wanted to make a point.
Sources:- Eu.observer.com https://euobserver.com/world/154026
