About The Maritime Security Centre - Horn of Africa
The Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSCHOA) aims to provide a service to
mariners in the Gulf of Aden, the Somali Basin and off the Horn of Africa. It is a
Coordination Centre dedicated to safeguarding legitimate freedom of navigation in
the light of increasing risks of pirate attack against merchant shipping in the region,
in support of the UN Security Council’s Resolutions (UNSCR) 1814, 1816 and 1838.
Through close dialogue with shipping companies, masters and other interested parties,
MSCHOA will build up a picture of vulnerable shipping in these waters and their approaches.
The Centre, which is manned by military and merchant navy personnel from several countries
will then coordinate with a range or military forces operating in the region (notably
EU NAVFOR) to provide support and protection to mariners. There is a
clear need to protect ships and their crews from illegitimate and dangerous attacks,
safeguarding a key global trade route.
To do this effectively, MSCHOA needs to know about merchant vessels approaching,
transiting or operating in the region. This website offers ship owners, ships Masters
and agents the facility to register their details securely with MSCHOA, update positions
of their vessels and receive information and guidance designed to reduce the risk of
pirate attacks.
MSCHOA has been set up by the EU as part of a European Security and Defence Policy
initiative to combat piracy in the Horn of Africa. This work commenced with the
establishment of EU NAVCO in September 2008. This Coordination Cell
working in Brussels established linkages with a broad cross section of the maritime
community and provided coordination with EU forces operating in the region. In November
2008, the Council of the European Union took a major step further by setting up a naval
mission – EU NAVFOR ATALANTA – to improve maritime security off the Somali
coast by preventing and deterring pirate attacks and help safeguard merchant
shipping in the region. From mid-December 2008, an EU Naval Task Group, supported
by maritime patrol aircraft, will be operating in the region. Both MSCHOA and the
Naval Task Group are under the command of Rear Admiral Peter Hudson, based at Northwood,
United Kingdom.
Attempts to coordinate counter-piracy operations are not new. MSCHOA is one of a number
of centres providing a service to mariners and our aim is to cooperate as closely as
possible with all those organisations, minimising the number of agencies that the
ship owner or master needs to deal with.