Somali Piracy is back Archives - Kaab TV

Surge in Somali Pirate Attacks Sparks Fresh Concerns

Staff Reporter — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:02:55 +0000

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has once again drawn international attention following a series of incidents this year involving the hijacking of vessels and attacks on commercial shipping, raising concerns that a threat once thought to be largely contained may be re-emerging.

The latest high-profile case involved the merchant vessel MV LUTUF, which was seized on August 17 off the coast of Puntland. The ship was eventually released after an operation that the Somali government said was conducted jointly by Somali and Turkish forces.

While authorities described the operation as a success, reports indicated that the pirates may have received a substantial ransom before releasing the vessel, though those claims have not been independently verified.

According to Somalia’s Ministry of Defense, the operation resulted in the destruction of four boats allegedly used by the pirates and the killing of 14 suspected pirates.

However, questions have since emerged regarding the circumstances surrounding the vessel’s release. Puntland authorities reportedly raised concerns about aspects of the operation, highlighting the lack of independently verified information surrounding the incident.

The case has renewed fears that piracy networks operating along Somalia’s coastline are regaining confidence after years of relative decline.

Maritime security observers warn that even isolated incidents can have significant consequences for regional and international shipping if left unchecked.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has previously warned of an increase in piracy-related incidents in the Gulf of Aden and waters near Somalia.

The agency has stressed that recent attacks demonstrate that the piracy threat has not been fully eliminated and has called for continued vigilance and coordinated action to protect commercial vessels and seafarers.

Somalia possesses Africa’s longest coastline, stretching more than 3,300 kilometers along some of the world’s most important maritime routes.

The vast coastline, combined with limited maritime surveillance and enforcement capabilities, has historically provided opportunities for pirate groups to operate in remote coastal areas.

The resurgence of piracy poses risks not only to maritime security but also to international trade. Shipping companies may be forced to increase security measures, hire armed guards, or pay higher insurance premiums.

In some cases, vessels could alter their routes to avoid high-risk areas, increasing transportation costs and potentially affecting regional commerce.

For Somalia, renewed piracy activity could also undermine efforts to improve the country’s international image and attract investment while strengthening confidence in its maritime security institutions.

Piracy is considered a serious criminal offense under both Somali law and international maritime law.

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), particularly Article 101, defines piracy as illegal acts of violence, detention, or robbery committed for private purposes against a ship or persons on board, typically on the high seas or outside the jurisdiction of any state.

Somalia has also developed legal and institutional mechanisms to address maritime crime.

The Office of the Attorney General operates a specialized Maritime Crimes Unit tasked with investigating and prosecuting offenses committed at sea, including piracy, smuggling, and other maritime-related crimes.

In addition, Somalia signed the 2017 Jeddah Amendment to the Djibouti Code of Conduct, a regional agreement designed to strengthen cooperation among countries in combating piracy, armed robbery at sea, human trafficking, and other maritime security threats.

These legal frameworks place significant responsibility on the Somali government to investigate piracy incidents, apprehend suspects, and prosecute those responsible.

International organizations, including the United Nations, have repeatedly emphasized that the long-term solution to piracy depends not only on military responses but also on effective law enforcement and functioning judicial institutions.

As a result, experts note that capturing suspected pirates is only the first step. Successful prosecution requires thorough investigations, evidence collection, and judicial proceedings capable of securing convictions under national and international law.

The renewed incidents have revived memories of the piracy crisis that peaked between 2010 and 2011, when Somali pirate groups carried out dozens of hijackings and held hundreds of seafarers hostage.

At the height of the crisis, piracy cost the global economy billions of dollars annually and prompted an unprecedented international naval response in the Gulf of Aden and the western Indian Ocean.

A combination of international naval patrols, improved ship security measures, and anti-piracy operations eventually led to a dramatic decline in attacks.

However, maritime security analysts have long warned that the root causes of piracy were never fully resolved.

Experts point to a range of factors that continue to create conditions conducive to piracy, including poverty, unemployment, weak law enforcement, limited economic opportunities in coastal communities, and inadequate maritime security capabilities.

For this reason, combating piracy requires more than military operations to free hijacked vessels.

It also requires investment in coast guard forces, stronger judicial institutions, effective law enforcement, and economic development programs that provide alternative livelihoods for people living in coastal areas.

Although the MV LUTUF incident has been officially closed following the vessel’s release, maritime security organizations continue to urge caution.

The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) has advised ships operating near Somali waters to maintain heightened vigilance and follow recommended security procedures.

While piracy has not yet returned to the levels seen during Somalia’s worst piracy years, recent incidents serve as a reminder that the threat remains present.

Security analysts warn that a failure to respond effectively could allow isolated attacks to evolve into a broader resurgence of organized piracy networks.

Somalia and its international partners therefore face a critical challenge: preventing recent incidents from developing into a new wave of piracy that could threaten regional stability, international trade, and maritime security.

For Somalia, success will depend on strengthening the coast guard, improving maritime surveillance, enforcing existing laws, prosecuting offenders, and expanding economic opportunities in coastal communities.

Combined with continued international cooperation, these measures will be essential to ensuring that piracy does not once again become one of the country’s most serious security challenges.

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Deni: Hassan Sheikh Is Responsible for the Resurgence of Piracy in Puntland

Staff Reporter — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 09:27:52 +0000

GAROWE (Kaab TV) – Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni has accused Somalia’s Federal Government, led by the President whose term officially ended on May 15, 2026, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, of being behind the recent resurgence of piracy along Somalia’s northeastern coast, particularly in areas under Puntland’s administration.

Speaking at the opening of the 58th session of the Puntland Parliament on Wednesday, Deni claimed that the federal government bears responsibility for the re-emergence of pirate activities in Puntland’s coastal regions, alleging that the situation is part of a broader effort to undermine security and stability in the country.

The Puntland leader further alleged that former President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s administration is financing armed youth groups in several coastal districts, including Hafun, Bandarbeyla, Eyl, and Jariban. According to Deni, some of these groups are allegedly being organized to support or participate in piracy-related activities.

“Puntland is closely monitoring activities aimed at creating armed militias in our coastal areas,” Deni said, warning that such actions could threaten regional security and disrupt ongoing efforts to combat criminal networks operating along the coast.

The accusations represent one of the strongest public criticisms directed by Puntland’s leadership at the Federal Government in recent months and are likely to deepen existing political tensions between Garowe and Mogadishu.

The Federal Government of Somalia has not yet responded to the allegations, and no independent evidence has been publicly presented to support the claims made by the Puntland president.

The remarks come at a time when concerns are growing over renewed piracy activity off the Somali coast. In recent months, several commercial vessels have reportedly been seized by pirate groups operating near Puntland’s shores, reviving fears of a security threat that had largely been contained through international naval patrols and regional security operations.

According to local authorities, pirate groups are currently holding at least three commercial vessels off the Puntland coast, particularly in the regions of Bari, Karkaar, and Mudug, while demanding ransom payments for the release of the ships and their crews.

Piracy off the Somali coast reached global prominence during the late 2000s and early 2010s, when hundreds of vessels were attacked in one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors. Although international efforts significantly reduced attacks over the past decade, recent incidents have raised concerns that piracy may once again be gaining a foothold in the region.

Deni reiterated Puntland’s commitment to maintaining coastal security and combating piracy, while calling for greater attention to what he described as activities threatening the stability of the region.

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Somali Piracy is back. With Strait of Hormuz all Over the News, Renewed Threats to the Red Sea and East Africa Passage are Failing to Make Headlines

Willem H. van der Kooi — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 19:03:05 +0000

Between April 21 and May 2, 2026, a sequence of incidents marked the clearest reactivation of Somali Pirate Action Group activity since expensive suppression efforts brought the threat to low levels over a decade ago.

During this 2-week period alone, six maritime security incidents appeared and four confirmed hijackings (three commercial vessels and at least one dhow), plus one armed boarding attempt deterred by embarked security, and at least two suspicious skiff approaches inside the Maritime Security Transit Corridor (MSTC).

Three of the four hijacked commercial vessels remain under pirate control as of mid-May 2026. Ransom demands on Eureka alone are reported to have escalated from $3 million to $10 million.

A further attempted approach was reported approximately 500 NM east of Mogadishu on April 28, in which a tanker was approached by a suspected pirates employing a larger wooden vessel as a mothership and two smaller skiffs, the operational signature of an extended-range PAG deployment we have seen in the past extending their reach well withing the Indian Ocean and Red Sea passage.

The operational signature is consistent: small skiffs deployed from coastal launch points or from a recently seized dhow, targeting transiting vessels in already a window of 100+ NM from the coast, with rapid redirection toward Puntland anchorages on successful boarding.

History around the Somali coast is repeating itself with lack of national stability and a divided international community fuelling the unrest within the country.

Since the Kampala Accord were signed in 2011, providing the agreed roadmap towards a functioning Somali State, limited progress was achieved towards establishing stable and united national or regional governments. Divisions between the federal government and opposition groups – including Puntland, Somaliland and Jubaland federal (member) state leaders and the opposition Somali Salvation Forum coalition led by former president Sharif Sheikh Ahmed – have undermined current election preparations.

None of this is new to Somalia’s political scene. The same issues arose among the same actors during the election that brought Mohamud to power in 2022 or President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed before him. The conflict between opposing sides is powered and maintained by various ME and Asian States supporting different players who suit their local interests best. The EU’s approach is also not very consistent. While EU advocating the sponsorship of a ‘one-nation’ solution, many of their aid and training programs are directly via regional State Governments, undermining he national powers of the Mogadishu Officials.

Again, like over a decade ago, voices are raised to pour money and resources into suppressing the occurrence of Piracy through sailing an expensive navy fleet through the area. However, although such actions proved to temporarily supress the symptoms, such use of navy equipment, designed to be effective war machines, are fully inadequate for a policing task. For me the picture tells it all. A billion-dollar piece of marine equipment to launch a RIB (designed for beaching and not for 24/7 open ocean operations) to intercept a small skiff in non-existing perfect weather conditions.

Bringing the rule of law along the (Somali-)coast requires an effective maritime law enforcement capability, supporting both coast guard vessels designed for policing tasks and able to operate at the high-seas, as well as establishing the task force that can operate within the agreed rules of engagement.

Regretfully, with circumstances lacking tangible improvements over the last two decades and international players powering opposing Somali sides, the increasing threats to ships using the Red Sea and Indian Ocean passage will not disappear and should get the attention it deserves.

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Willem H. van der Kooi Company Owner AMO / Strategist Blue Economy

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