The European Union has launched a fresh mission in the Horn of Africa to fight piracy and instability in the region.

Around 175 people will be deployed to help monitor territorial waters off the coasts of Djibouti, Kenya, the Seychelles and Somalia. The mission will be extended to Tanzania as soon as possible, the EU said.

In a statement, the EU's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the EUCAP Nestor mission aimed to "create lasting solutions to the scourge of piracy."

The EUCAP team will be charged with bolstering the sea-going maritime capacities of the countries in the region, as well as provide training for coastal staff such as the police force and judges.

The mission is due to last for two years and will complement two ongoing EU operations in the region, including the Atalanta naval mission, which has an extensive mandate to fight piracy. In May, EU forces blew up pirate supplies on the Somali shore to disrupt their efforts to get out to sea and attack merchant shipping.

Separately, the 27-country bloc on Monday gave the green light to a new mission due to start in August that will fight terrorists in the Sahel. The EU said terrorist activity in the region has increased dramatically, partly as a result of the civil war in Libya.

Source: SaveOurSeafarers