Spain joins world powers in expanding security footprint along Horn of Africa corridor

Spain has stepped up its strategic engagement in the increasingly militarised Horn of Africa, joining other world powers in its security presence in the region.

This week, Spanish Ambassador Jaime Moreno Bau paid an official visit to the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation ATALANTA, boarding the Spanish Navy Frigate F-82 Victoria, one of the mission’s flagship assets.

Spain — one of the leading maritime nations amongst the 27 member-states  — currently leads Operation ATALANTA, the EU’s long-running counter-piracy and counter-trafficking mission off the Somali coast.

 "Spain is profoundly committed to peace and stability in this region. Our presence here, leading Operation ATALANTA, is a clear demonstration of our resolve to protect the free flow of commerce and ensure the security of one of the world's most critical sea routes,” Ambassador Moreno said in his address Spanish sailors, EUNAVFOR staff, and officers from partner nations.

The visit comes at a moment of heightened geopolitical competition around the Horn of Africa.

 The Bab-el-Mandeb strait—linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden—now hosts a rare concentration of military assets from China, the United States, India and several EU member states, each seeking to secure shipping lanes that carry an estimated 12–15 percent of global trade.

 China operates its first overseas military base in Djibouti, the US maintains Camp Lemonnier, its largest permanent base in Africa, while India has stepped up deployments in the Indian Ocean.

On the other hand, Spain’s partners in the EU France, Italy and Germany have maintained long-standing military footprints across the region.

 Consequently, Spain’s sustained leadership in ATALANTA positions it among these global actors shaping maritime security along the Horn’s Coastline.

The Ambassador’s visit also highlighted Spain’s deepening cooperation with regional states, as Victoria recently participated in a three-day joint naval exercise with the Kenya Navy at the Bandari Naval Academy.

The training combined classroom sessions, shipboard drills and live maritime manoeuvres, culminating in coordinated operations between the Spanish frigate and a Kenyan naval vessel.

Beyond military coordination, the exercises signal growing political collaboration between Madrid and Nairobi.

Spain, the EU’s Operation ATALANTA command, and the European External Action Service are leveraging the partnership to advance shared priorities, including disrupting narcotics and arms trafficking routes that fuel regional instability. 

Operation ATALANTA, initially launched in 2008 to combat piracy, has evolved into a broader maritime security mission covering illegal trafficking, monitoring of fishing activities and protection of humanitarian shipments.

Just last month, the Kenya Navy, in a multi-agency operation involving various international partners, intercepted over one tonne of methamphetamine in the Indian Ocean, valued at approximately Sh8.2 billion ($63 million). 

Spain’s forward maritime presence is observed in areas such as the Gulf of Guinea, the Horn of Africa, and the Red Sea, as Madrid appears to be quite committed to enhancing Spain’s visibility in the Indo-Pacific.

 Additionally Spain's 2024 National Strategy for Maritime Security identifies the Horn of Africa as a key area of concern due to threats such as piracy.

 The strategy integrates Spain's maritime security goals with those of the EU, specifically mentioning its participation in operations such as the bloc’s NAVFOR Operation.