Somalia Steps Up Fight against Piracy after Wave of Vessel Attacks

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia has pledged to intensify efforts to combat a resurgence of piracy off its northeastern coast, saying commercial vessels have been attacked or seized since April and calling for the immediate release of seafarers still being held.

In a statement, the federal government of Somalia said the attacks had extended into the Gulf of Aden and that Somali forces were responding to piracy networks through operations on land and at sea.

The government cited the Aug. 29 operation that freed the hijacked cargo vessel MV Lutuf as the latest example of those efforts, saying further operations would follow.

Somalia also sought to clarify how international maritime security assistance should be coordinated, saying cooperation should take place through the Federal Government and in coordination with federal member states under a single national security framework.

International partners are welcome to support Somali maritime forces through that framework, the government said.

The government linked piracy to broader maritime security concerns, including illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which it said violated Somalia’s sovereign rights over its marine resources under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Article 100 of UNCLOS calls on states to cooperate in the repression of piracy, providing a legal basis for international cooperation against piracy on the high seas.

Somalia said it would take the issue to the United Nations Security Council, where it is currently a member, while working with bilateral, regional and multilateral partners to secure the release of hostages and disrupt piracy networks.

It also pointed to the Djibouti Code of Conduct and its Jeddah Amendment, regional mechanisms aimed at strengthening cooperation against piracy, armed robbery at sea and other maritime crimes.

The renewed piracy threat is significant for Somalia, whose coastline borders some of the world’s most important shipping routes linking the Indian Ocean with the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea.

The government said it would not allow Somali waters to become a safe haven for maritime crime and called for the unconditional release of all remaining seafarers.