Three ships were hijacked off the coast of Somalia last week, raising fears of a resurgence of piracy in the Horn of Africa. The recent incidents include the hijacking of the commercial vessel Sward on April 26, just one day after the seizure of a dhow, along with the hijacking of the oil tanker Honour 25 on April 21, which was carrying 18,000 barrels of oil, according to the Indian Ocean Maritime Security Center.
The center reported that all incidents are still ongoing, advising vessels operating in the area to increase their level of vigilance, especially within 150 nautical miles of the Somali coast between Mogadishu and Hafun.
Details of the Incidents
The vessel Sward, which was carrying a cargo of cement, left the port of Suez in Egypt on April 13 and was en route to Mombasa in Kenya when it was hijacked approximately 11 kilometers from the Somali town of Garacad. The ship had 17 crew members on board, including 15 from Syria and 2 from India, according to security sources from the Puntland region of Somalia.
After the hijacking, the pirates steered the ship towards the coast and anchored it in a remote area near Garacad. Six armed men and an unarmed translator who spoke English and Arabic boarded the ship, communicating with the crew and the ship's owner.
Background & Context
Piracy off the coast of Somalia saw a significant rise in the late 2000s, peaking in 2011 with 212 attacks, according to data from the European Naval Force. Pirates became bolder, attacking vessels as far as 2,271 miles from the Somali coast in the Indian Ocean.
However, an international naval coalition successfully reduced the number of attacks to a few annually starting in 2014. Nevertheless, incidents began to rise again in 2023, indicating a potential return of pirate activity.
Impact & Consequences
This increase in piracy poses a new blow to the global shipping sector, which is already suffering from a near-total closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to Iran, along with attacks by Iranian-backed Houthis around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Vessels must navigate through these straits to exit the Red Sea, one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, with many rerouting around the Horn of Africa.
Geir Norman, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, states that pirates have exploited the distraction of international naval forces in the Red Sea due to Houthi attacks, leading to an expansion of Emirati-backed security forces in Puntland.
Regional Significance
These events are significant for the Arab region, as any increase in piracy activity could affect maritime trade routes passing through the Red Sea, potentially leading to higher shipping costs and increased risks for commercial vessels.
In conclusion, these incidents highlight the need for enhanced international cooperation to combat piracy and secure vital maritime trade routes.