For the handover of Operation Atalanta’s counter-piracy Force Command from Rear Admiral Barbieri to Rear Admiral Jan C. Kaack, the German State Secretary, Markus Grübel, paid a visit to Djibouti.
As well as visiting the crew on board the new Operation Atalanta flagship, FGS Bayern, the State Secretary also visited German soldiers who are based in Djibouti and held discussions with the EU Ambassador, HE Joseph Silva and the Deputy Commander of European Union Naval Force headquarters in Northwood, Rear Admiral Jonas Wikström.
Accompanied by the German Ambassador in Djibouti, Wolfgang Piecha, State Secretary Grübel also met with representatives from the Djiboutian foreign ministry for bilateral talks. Moreover there was the opportunity to meet military representatives of other nations based in Djibouti. On invitation of the commander of the US military forces in Djibouti, Major General Mark R. Stammer, the German delegation also visited Camp Lemmonier.
Before he departed Djibouti, Secretary Grübel addressed the crew on board FGS Bayern “You can be proud of your role in defending World Food Programme ships that carry humanitarian aid to the Somali people and fighting piracy.
