Is Germany about to defend ships in the Red Sea?

If the current voices in political Berlin are to be believed, then the Bundeswehr is about to enter its next important foreign deployment. In January or February, Germany will take part in the US-led protection mission in the Red Sea, as long as the parliament, the Bundestag, approves.

Bundestag approval is important when even one German soldier sets foot on foreign soil. As a parliamentary army, the Bundeswehr must be given a mandate by the Bundestag for every deployment.

The US has given the name Operation Prosperity Guardian to the mission, for which it has asked around 40 countries for support. In this case, the name says it all: From the point of view of many Western countries, this really is about safeguarding prosperity, specifically the prosperity supplied by safe and important shipping routes.

Countries such as France and the United Kingdom have already said they will take part, and Germany will likely join them soon. The mission comes after the increasing number of attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen on cargo ships traveling to and from Asia through the Suez Canal.

Around 10% of global trade is handled on this route, and around 30% of container ship traffic. Last month, the area saw around 20 attacks on ships, with use of weapons such as combat drones and cruise missiles.

'A right to security'

Chancellor Olaf Scholz's spokesperson, Steffen Hebestreit, confirmed this week that the German government is considering participating in the mission. And his choice of words already revealed that a mission is very likely.\

"There is a right to security. And there is freedom at sea and also on the high seas. And if this is threatened, then the international community is called upon to reduce such threats," he said.

But Christian Wagner, the spokesperson for Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, was a little more evasive. "We are now examining this internally and, if we come to the decision that we should participate in this mission, we will also inform the Bundestag on what basis and with what mandate we will then propose it," he said.

The Bundeswehr was already involved in the fight against pirates in the Horn of Africa until April 2022, for example, the EU mandate for which runs until the end of 2024. Berlin is considering extending this mandate to include operations in the Red Sea.

In addition, one of the operational Bundeswehr frigates, the Hessen, will complete a mission in the Baltic Sea by the end of the year. The frigate would be ideal for relieving American or British ships in the Red Sea.

One thing is already clear. A majority of the Bundestag would certainly be in favor of such a deployment, whatever the exact mandate. Representatives of the governing coalition of center-left Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP), have already signaled their approval.

"Germany is the third largest export nation in the world," Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, chair of the parliamentary defense committee, told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. "In this respect, blocking the movement of goods is relevant for all of us, and everyone will feel the effects if certain products or components no longer reach Europe."

The conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU), in opposition, is also well-disposed to such a deployment. "Germany does have some restrictions on such deployments," Johann Wadephul, the CDU parliamentary group's foreign affairs expert, told DW. "But the way I see it, we, including the opposition, naturally support the United Nations and this mission."

Shipping companies hope to avoid long detours

At the same time, Wadephul also warned against excessive haste. "The German Bundestag will convene in the second week of January, and the US is already present on the ground. Together with the UK, France and Italy, perhaps Spain too," he said. "So it is not necessary for Germany to join this coalition immediately. But we are ready for a corresponding decision by the Bundestag, and we can prepare for the mission beforehand. So if our help is needed, we can contribute to the success of the naval mission."

Many shipping companies, especially major ones such as the Danish group Moller-Maersk, are currently taking the time-consuming detour via the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa, a detour that can lead to delays of up to two weeks.

The Houthis' capabilities were demonstrated by the capture of the freighter Galaxy Leader in November. The crew is still trapped on the ship to this day, even though numerous Western countries have called for their release.

This article was originally written in German.

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