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Bundeswehr frigate “Hessen” off Wilhelmshaven: On the way to the Red Sea

Photo: Sina Schuldt/dpa

The federal government has officially decided on German participation in the planned EU military operation in the Red Sea. Up to 700 soldiers will be able to take part, as deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner announced at the federal press conference in Berlin. The mandate, which is scheduled to run until February 28, 2025, has yet to be approved by the Bundestag.

The German frigate “Hessen” with around 240 soldiers on board is already on its way to the operational area. According to Büchner, the Bundeswehr will also provide staff for the EU operation “Eunavfor Aspides”. Their goal is to secure merchant shipping in the Red Sea against attacks by the militant Islamist Houthi militia.

Attacks by the self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance”

The Shiite Houthi militia has been in a civil war with the internationally recognized government of Yemen for years; the militia allied with Iran has controlled the Yemeni capital Sanaa since 2014. In March 2015, a Saudi-led military coalition began intervening on behalf of government forces. However, the alliance failed to defeat the Houthis.

Since the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas began on October 7, the Houthi militia in Yemen has attacked numerous ships in the Red Sea. The militia sees itself as part of the self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance” directed against Israel, which includes Hamas and the Shiite militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The area of ​​operation includes the central connection axis between Asia and Europe, through which a large part of energy supplies for Europe and global goods traffic are transported, said Büchner. "The attacks by the Houthi militia from areas under their control in Yemen on international shipping in the operational area since mid-November 2023 have already significantly endangered the security of maritime traffic and undermined stability in an already volatile region."

The ongoing escalation of violence and the threat to ship crews required a “robustly equipped military operation,” emphasized the deputy government spokesman. The federal government worked together with the EU partners to set up the operation as soon as possible.

mrc/dpa/AFP