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Meeting with members of the Somali community is important for EU NAVFOR. It is an opportunity for the Somali community to learn the relevance of counter-piracy operations to their country and themselves, but also an opportunity for them to ask questions directly to EU NAVFOR.
Representatives of the Global Somali Diaspora met with the team of experts from EU NAVFOR in London. Global Somali Diaspora is a non profit organisation that aims to advocate, promote, connect and organise Somali diaspora communities globally. There was a presentation about the need for Operation Atalanta and what it is doing to tackle piracy in the region, followed by a spirited question and answer session.
The evening also had a more informal side, where a meal was shared. The diaspora talked more about their experiences and perceptions of Somalia, and sharing their views on counter-piracy efforts in the region.
A representative for the Global Somali Diaspora said: “These meetings are important because it creates people to spread the word…. There’s a lot of information out there [on piracy], but meetings like this give them understanding.”
This is just the latest in a series of meetings in which members of the Global Somali Diaspora have met members of EU NAVFOR . Meetings have taken place all over the UK to ensure a range of people from different age groups and backgrounds are reached, and to allow them to ask questions most relevant to them. This is important for EU NAVFOR to help understand what the Global Somali community feels about most strongly.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of European Union Naval Force ATALANTA (EU NAVFOR) Somalia.
