Somalia condemns resurgence of Piracy and calls for coordinated international action

The Federal Government of Somalia has condemned what it described as a resurgence of piracy along the country’s northeastern coast, calling for coordinated international efforts to dismantle piracy networks and secure the release of seafarers still being held.

In a press release dated September 6, Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said commercial vessels had been attacked or seized in incidents extending into the Gulf of Aden since April 2026.

“Somalia stands with the affected crews and their families and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all seafarers still held,” the ministry said.

The government said Somali forces were taking action against piracy networks both at sea and on land. It cited the operation that resulted in the release of the hijacked cargo vessel MV Lutuf on August 29 as its most recent major action and said further operations would follow.

The ministry stressed that maritime security cooperation in Somalia should be conducted through the Federal Government and coordinated with the federal member states under what it described as a single and accountable national security framework.

“Partners are welcome to support Somali maritime forces through that framework,” the statement said.

Somalia also linked maritime security to the protection of its marine resources, arguing that illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing violates the country’s sovereign rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The government further invoked Article 100 of the convention, which establishes a duty for states to cooperate in suppressing piracy. Somalia said it would raise the renewed piracy threat at the United Nations Security Council, where it is currently serving as a member.

Mogadishu said it would also work with bilateral, regional and multilateral partners, including through the Djibouti Code of Conduct and its Jeddah Amendment, to secure the release of affected seafarers and dismantle piracy networks.

“Somalia will not permit its waters to become a haven for maritime crime,” the Foreign Ministry said.

The statement comes amid renewed concerns over maritime security in waters off Somalia and the Gulf of Aden, after a period in which piracy attacks in the region had declined significantly. The government’s latest appeal places greater emphasis on coordinated international support while asserting Somali leadership over maritime security operations in its territorial waters.

Mustaqbal