The Diplomat
Rear Admiral Manuel Alvargonzález Méndez has assumed command of the military operation against piracy in Somalia Atalanta, taking over from Italian Rear Admiral Francesco Saladino who has commanded the mission since February 2024.
The inauguration ceremony took place on Thursday on the Italian ship ‘Martinengo’, in the Port of Djibouti and was attended by the deputy commander of the EU NAVFOR, Rear Admiral Éric Dousson, and numerous local civil and military authorities, according to the mission in a statement.
Specifically, Rear Admiral Alvargonzález will lead the 47th rotation of the forces of Operation Atalanta with the frigate Numancia as the flagship of the mission.
The EU naval force patrols a wide area of the Gulf of Aden and neighboring countries, including the port and city of Muscat (Oman), the Somali Basin, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba.
