Somalia’s Political Rift Fuel Resurgence of Piracy, Crisis Group Warns

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Political divisions and weak cooperation between Somalia’s federal government and its member states are creating security gaps that have helped Somali piracy make a comeback, according to a new analysis by the International Crisis Group (ICG).

The resurgence has raised concerns over the security of one of the world’s most important shipping corridors, after years of international naval operations and Somali-led efforts had brought piracy incidents down to relatively low levels.

ICG Horn of Africa senior analyst Omar Mahmoud said disputes over political authority and the control of national resources had weakened coordination on maritime security, leaving coastal areas vulnerable to organised criminal groups.

The analysis comes amid a renewed wave of piracy incidents in waters off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. At least six commercial vessels have been seized since April, according to maritime security reporting, while additional attempted attacks and suspicious approaches have been recorded.

The resurgence has also coincided with pressure on international maritime patrols, with naval assets and surveillance resources having to respond to security demands elsewhere in the region. Changes in shipping routes around the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have further complicated efforts to maintain a consistent maritime security presence.

SECURITY PROBLEM

ICG argues that increasing international patrols alone will not provide a lasting solution. It says the piracy threat is closely linked to conditions along Somalia’s coastline, including illegal fishing and limited economic opportunities for coastal communities.

The issue is particularly sensitive in Somalia, where illegal or unregulated foreign fishing has long been cited by coastal communities as a major grievance. Historically, some pirate networks have exploited those grievances to portray themselves as defenders of Somali waters, although piracy itself developed into a highly organised criminal enterprise driven largely by ransom payments.

Somalia’s maritime security institutions have made progress since the peak of piracy more than a decade ago, but their capacity remains uneven. International naval forces, private maritime security and improved protection measures have also played a major role in reducing successful attacks.

The International Maritime Bureau said global piracy and armed robbery incidents fell to their lowest first-half level since 1992 in 2026. Yet Somali pirates accounted for 94% of hostages taken globally during the first half of the year, underlining the continued ability of pirate groups to operate in the region.

The International Maritime Organization has separately called for international action to secure the release of seafarers held by pirates in Somali waters following several hijackings earlier this year.

POLITICAL COOPERATION

The piracy resurgence comes at a politically sensitive moment for Somalia, where disagreements between Mogadishu and some federal member states have complicated cooperation on security and other national issues.

For maritime security, the problem is particularly significant because Somalia has one of Africa’s longest coastlines, stretching along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Effective policing of such a vast maritime area requires coordination between federal institutions, regional authorities and international partners.

ICG is calling for the federal government and member states to reduce political disputes, strengthen local institutions and improve cooperation on maritime security.

It also recommends stronger measures against illegal fishing by foreign vessels and greater support for coastal communities, arguing that addressing these underlying problems is essential to preventing piracy from returning to the scale seen around 15 years ago.

The renewed attacks are being closely watched by the international shipping industry because Somalia sits alongside routes linking the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. Disruptions in those waters can increase shipping costs and add pressure to already vulnerable global supply chains.

For Somalia, however, the stakes go beyond international shipping. A sustained piracy revival could undermine the country’s efforts to build effective maritime institutions, attract investment in its blue economy and establish greater control over its extensive territorial waters.

The challenge, therefore, is not simply to keep pirates away from commercial ships. It is also to close the political and institutional gaps that allow criminal networks to operate from Somalia’s coastline in the first place.