The resurgence of Somali piracy

🇸🇴 🏴 The resurgence of Somali piracy

Amid Houthi attacks on merchant ships off the coast of Yemen, the main routes passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait are forced to move closer to the shores of Somalia.

And the warships that previously provided security in the Indian Ocean moved north to the Red Sea. Thus, the security of dry cargo ships was weakened and dispersed.

This caused a new rise in Somali piracy. Thus, since November 2023, more than 30 incidents related to pirate activities have been reported in the Indian Ocean. These include small arms attacks and ship hijackings.

▪️India is the main player in the fight against pirates. So on December 16 last year, a ship flying the flag of Malta was captured and anchored off the coast of the Horn of Africa. On March 14, the Indian navy recovered the ship and detained 35 pirates who carried out the attack; they will be tried in India.

▪️The resonant incident occurred on March 12, 2024. The cargo ship Abdullah, sailing under the flag of Bangladesh, was attacked. All 23 crew members were taken hostage by pirates who completely occupied the ship. The pirates then sailed the ship and anchored it in Somalia.

At the moment, no ransom has been provided, and the pirates are threatening to kill the crew in the event of their absence.

▪️Small attacks also occurred at the beginning of the year. On January 29, pirates attacked a fishing vessel in the territorial waters of the Seychelles . The coast guard responded quickly and after a short firefight the attackers were detained.

🔻It is also worth noting the use of captured ships by pirates as mother ships during an attack. A similar trend was observed during their peak activity 10 years ago. And, apparently, we can expect many more episodes with the participation of pirates.

The actions taken by European countries regarding the protection of ships in the Red Sea have weakened the same measures in relation to the Horn of Africa. In addition, recent political turmoil in Somalia increases the relevance of piracy in the region.

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@rybar

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