Somali Pirates Seize Chinese Fishing Vessel and Demand Ransom

 Agence France-Presse published on 8 December 2024 an article titled "Somali Pirates Demand Ranson for Chinese Vessel."

Persons who had been hired to protect the fishing boat were joined by additional pirates and then demanded ransom for the ship's release.  As security has improved along the Somali coast, it is not clear that the pirates will find a safe haven.

Is Somali Piracy Returning as a Major Problem?

 Reuters published on 21 March 2024 an article titled "Somali Pirates' Return Adds to Crisis for Global Shipping Companies" by Giulia Paravicini, Jonathan Saul, and Abdiqani Hassan.

For a variety of reasons, Somali piracy nearly disappeared ten years ago from the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea, and wider Indian Ocean.  Since November 2023, Somali pirates have attempted more than 20 hijackings, resulting in the return of armed security guards on ships and higher shipping insurance rates.  Although the number of attacks remains well below the peak in 2011, there is concern that piracy is returning as a serious threat.

Comment:  The ability and willingness of the central government in Mogadishu and the regional government of Puntland to control the Somali coastline will largely determine whether Somali piracy returns as a major issue.  More aggressive preventive measures by shipowners will also play a significant role.  

Somali Piracy Returns Off Horn of Africa

 CNBC posted on 7 February 2024 an article titled "Somali Pirates Are Back on the Attack at a Level Not Seen in Years, Adding to Global Shipping Threats" by Lori Ann LaRocco.

Over the past three months, there has been more piracy in the waters off the Horn of Africa than at any point in the last six years with high ransoms for seafarers or vessels, and robbing of ship passengers by pirates.

European Union Seeks Higher Profile in Northwestern Indian Ocean

 The Middle East Institute published on 9 May 2023 an analysis titled "Joining the Pieces Together: Toward a Comprehensive EU Maritime Approach for the Northwestern Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, and Red Sea" by Leonardo Jacopo Maria Mazzucco.

The European Union has demonstrated a renewed resolve to bolster its profile as a maritime security guarantor in the northwestern Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf and Red Sea.  The author then sets forth some important constraints before achieving this goal.  

The State of Somali Piracy

The institute for Security Studies published on 7 November 2018 an analysis titled "Ten Years On, Is Somali Piracy Still a Threat?" by Denys Reva.

There have only been two pirate attacks off Somalia since the beginning of 2018 as compared to 160 for all of 2011. The author argues, however, that it is still essential to address the root cause of piracy in Somalia.

European Union and the Horn of Africa

The European Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs commissioned a study on the European Union's framework for the Horn of Africa. Released in September 2012, the authors are Ahmed Soliman, Alex Vines and Jason Mosley, all of Chatham House in London.

The authors concluded that quiet engagement in Ethiopia and Eritrea presents the greatest new opportunity to influence constructive shifts in regional security and economic dynamics. This was true before the death of Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and is even more the case now. Strengthening the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) will also be essential if the region's potential and the EU's goals are to be realized.

Click here to read the report.

Somali Piracy Studies

The Study for the Greens/European Free Alliance published a lengthy document titled The EU and Somalia: Counter-Piracy and the Question of a Comprehensive Approach in February 2012. The authors are Hans-Georg Ehrhart and Kerstin Petretto, both associated with the University of Hamburg.

The authors argue that the EU, although it claims to follow a comprehensive approach to combating piracy, is really dealing with the problem piecemeal. They call for a reconsideration of the EU effort. Like most previous studies, the authors emphasize that the solution for the piracy challenge is on land and not in the water. The EU should follow an explicit "Somalia first" approach--as opposed to a "piracy first" policy--whereby the lead has to be in the hands of the Somali people themselves. The authors suggest that the EU should consider supporting alternative approaches to centralized forms of governance and de facto trusteeships such as decentralized systems of governance or non-state oligopolies of power. Click here to read the entire report.

Piracy Studies is a good website created as a page for sharing academic resources related to the study of contemporary maritime piracy. The site is edited by Christian Bueger of Cardiff University and Jan Stockbruegger of the University of Leiden. Click here to access the website.

Seychelles and Somali Piracy

Chatham House in London published on 21 February 2012 the transcripts of comments on The Role of Seychelles in Counter-Piracy by two senior officials in the Government of Seychelles. One reflects the comments of Joel Morgan, Minister for Home Affairs, Environment, Transport and Energy. The other contains the comments of Jean Paul Adam, Minister for Foreign Affairs.

These remarks provide a good summary of the problems that the Seychelles, which is located almost 1,000 miles from the Somali coast, are dealing with and how the government is confronting them.