Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean (French Navy) has handed over the Force Command of EU Naval Force (EU NavFor) Somalia Operation Atalanta to Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen (German Navy).
The Change of Command ceremony took place on Sunday 6 April on board FS Siroco in the Port of Djibouti.
Deputy Operation Commander of EU NavFor Rear Admiral Bartolomé Bauzá presided over the handover. The event was also attended by Lieutenant General Hans-Werner Fritz Commander of the Joint Forces Operations Command of the German Armed Forces in Potsdam.
Under French leadership, successful pirate attacks were prevented and five suspect pirates were arrested. The World Food Programme was able to deliver food to Somalia whilst under protection of EU NavFor. The flagship FS Siroco has conducted two successful Key Leader Engagements with Somaliland and Puntland as well as exercises with other Counter-Piracy forces.
Germany will lead the EU NavFor for four months from the FGS Brandenburg.
Picture: Rear Admiral Jürgen zur Mühlen (left) assumes force command of EU NavFor from Rear Admiral Hervé Bléjean (right). The handover was presided over by Rear Admiral Bartolomé Bauzá the Deputy Operation Commander of Operation Atalanta (centre).
