The following lists events that happened in 2009 in Somalia.
Incumbents
President: Adan Mohamed Nuur Madobe (until January 31), Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (starting January 31) Prime Minister: Nur Hassan Hussein (until February 14), Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke (starting February 14)
Events
January
January 1 - Somali pirates attack the MV S Venus. January 2 - Ethiopia withdraws its military forces from Somalia after two years of helping the Transitional Federal Government combat insurgents. January 2 - Somali pirates hijack the MV Kriti Episkopi. January 9 - The MV Sirius Star, a supertanker seized in the world's largest hijacking, is released with 2,000,000 barrels (320,000 m3) of oil and all 25 crew members unharmed after a US$3 million ransom is paid. January 9 - The Iranian-chartered wheat-carrying vessel MV Desire is released with 25 crew members unharmed. January 10 - A boat carrying eight Somali pirates from the freed supertanker MV Sirius Star capsizes in the Gulf of Aden, causing the deaths of five and the loss of their portion of US$3 million in ransom. January 14 - Somali pirates release two ships off the coast of East Africa. January 16 - Somali pirates release the Danish cargo ship CEC Future after receiving a ransom payment. January 23 - The 30-man crew of Chinese cargo ship Zhenhua 4 receives US$10,000 each after repelling Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. January 24 - A suicide car bomb targeting African Union peacekeepers kills 14 civilians in Mogadishu. January 29 - Somali pirates hijack the German oil tanker MV Longchamp in the Gulf of Aden. January 30 - Somalia's Transitional Federal Government collapses after Al-Shabaab captures Baidoa. January 31 - Sharif Ahmed is elected President of Somalia.
February
February 4 - The director of Somalia's independent HornAfrik radio station, Said Tahlil Ahmed, is killed in Mogadishu. February 5 - Somali pirates release Ukraine's MV Faina following a US$3.2-million ransom payment. February 6 - Somali pirates will release the MV Blue Star and her crew of 28 Egyptians upon receiving a ransom. February 22 - An Al-Shabaab suicide attack kills at least 11 and injures 15 more Burundian peacekeepers on an African Union military base in Mogadishu. February 22 - Somali pirates hijack Greece's MV Saldanha in the Gulf of Aden. February 24 - At least 15 people are killed and 90 injured in heavy fighting in Mogadishu. February 26 - China's Navy and Denmark's Navy rescue Italian and Chinese merchant vessels from Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. February 27 - China's Navy and Denmark's Navy thwart Somali pirate attacks on Italian and Chinese merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden.
March
March 3 - German frigate Rheinland-Pfalz foils a Somali pirate attack on a German container ship in the Gulf of Aden. March 4 - British-Norwegian cruise line Fred Olsen's cruise ship Balmoral escapes a Somali pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden. March 5 - Somali pirates release Egypt's MV Blue Star. March 6 - The European Union will transfer to Kenya suspected Somali pirates captured during Operation Atalanta. March 18 - Somali pirates hijack an Iranian fishing vessel in the Gulf of Aden. March 21 - Somali pirates hijack the Indian cargo ship Al Rafiquei. March 22 - Somali pirates release the Indian cargo ship Al Rafiquei one day after hijacking it. March 23 - A Japanese cargo ship escapes Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden. March 26 - Somali pirates hijack ships from the Isle of Man, Greece, and the Seychelles, while three other ships escape. March 31 - Seven Somali pirates are captured after mistakenly attacking the German Navy's FGS Spessart in the Gulf of Aden.