23/08/2010 (Agence Europe) - On 15 August, Rear Admiral Philippe Coindreau from France took up his post as the new EU Force Commander of EUNAVFOR Somalia - Operation Atalanta (see EUROPE 10188). A new Force Commander is appointed to command the force at sea every four months. Rear Admiral Coindreau succeeds Rear Admiral Jan Thörnqvist from Sweden, who had led the force since April. According to EUNAVFOR, during the four months under Swedish command, European forces dismantled more than 20 groups of pirates (more than 250 persons in all). Over the same period, the force escorted World Food Programme (WFP) vessels carrying a total of 90,000 cubic metres of food for the Somali people on 11 occasions. (A.By./transl.rt)