Acto del 7 de septiembre de 2009

La acción del 7 de septiembre de 2009 tuvo lugar cuando la fragata alemana Brandenburg , en el marco de la Operación Atalanta , persiguió y capturó una lancha pirata al sur de Mukalla , en el golfo de Adén , tras detectarse actividad sospechosa en la embarcación por parte del helicóptero de la fragata durante una misión de reconocimiento. La lancha fue inmovilizada a tiros y un sospechoso de su tripulación resultó muerto. Cuatro personas fueron capturadas y se confiscaron las armas, que posteriormente fueron destruidas.

La Armada alemana se involucró en la Operación Atalanta el 19 de diciembre de 2008, cuando el Bundestag aprobó la presencia naval alemana en el Cuerno de África tanto para apoyar a los buques de suministro del Programa Mundial de Alimentos como para combatir la piratería. ^{[ 1 ]}

El Brandenburg inició su misión el 29 de junio de 2009, bajo el mando del capitán de fragata Torsten Ites. En agosto, prestó asistencia a la tripulación del buque portacontenedores MV Hansa Stavanger  cuando este fue liberado en Mombasa , Kenia , por piratas somalíes que lo habían capturado cuatro meses antes. ^{[ 2 ]}

On 7 September Brandenburg launched a Sea Lynx helicopter to perform a reconnaissance mission on a suspected skiff just south of Mukalla, Yemen. The Sea Lynx closed on and filmed five suspects on board the vessel throwing ladders and weapons overboard. The skiff was ordered to stop, but apparently refused to do so. An interpreter tried to convince the crew to stop, but to no avail. Then Brandenburg fired warning shots across her bow. As the boat continued undeterred, it was later known that the headquarters of Operation Atalanta authorized the German frigate to disable the skiff by gunfire. After the vessel was neutralized, a German Navy team from a rigid-hulled inflatable boat took control of the crew and seized a number of weapons. One of the suspects was injured by gunfire during the incident, and later died of his wounds onboard Brandenburg while receiving medical treatment.^[3][4] This was the first fatality caused by the Bundeswehr in the course of Operation Atalanta.^[5] The weaponry found on board the skiff was later destroyed.^[6]

The German Navy eventually released the four surviving suspects. The body of the suspect killed in the action was handed back to his relatives in Somalia by the International Red Cross. The Bundeswehr decided not to extradite the men to Kenya after being advised by Operation Atalanta's headquarters that the men's conviction after the trial was not granted.^[5] At the time there was a deal with Kenya to judge in that country any act of piracy committed in the Indian Ocean, but on a case-by-case basis.^[7] Therefore, as the attack did not affect German interests, the skiff crewmembers were left in a craft within sight of the Somali coast.^[5]

14°03′04″N 49°10′44″E / 14.05111°N 49.17889°E / 14.05111; 49.17889