PURWOKERTO PORTAL – Fears of a resurgence of piracy in Somali waters are increasing after three ships were reported hijacked in just one week. The pirates are thought to have taken advantage of reduced surveillance resulting from Iran’s war and the diversion of international naval forces in the Strait of Hormuz
The latest incident involved the merchant ship Sward which was hijacked on April 26, just a day after a sailing ship was seized.
Previously, the tanker Honor 25 carrying around 18,000 barrels of oil was also hijacked on April 21. This series of events shows a worrying pattern in the waters off the coast of Somalia.
The Indian Ocean Maritime Security Center (MSCIO) stated that all the incidents were still ongoing and appealed to passing ships to increase vigilance, especially within a radius of 150 nautical miles from the Somali coast between Mogadishu to Hafun.
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Piracy in the Horn of Africa has actually decreased drastically after peaking in 2011 with more than 200 attacks.
This success cannot be separated from the role of the international naval coalition which actively carries out patrols. However, since 2023, an upward trend has begun to appear again.
Analysts consider that current geopolitical conditions are one of the main factors. The shifting international military focus to conflicts in the Middle East, including tensions in the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz, has created a security gap in Somali waters.
It is this gap that the pirate network seems to be exploiting to get back into action.
Apart from that, pirates are now reported to have more sophisticated capabilities than previous generations.
With the support of technology such as GPS and satellite communications, as well as the use of hijacked dhow aircraft carriers, they are able to operate further afield in the open seas.
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The Sward piracy case also revealed that the pirate group had a strong land network. They even received logistical supplies such as the stimulant khat commonly used in the region sent from the mainland, indicating the potential for a long-term hostage operation.***
