The security situation off Somalia is deteriorating again. On Sunday, a cargo ship around 6 nm north-east of Garacad was brought under control by unauthorized persons and diverted into Somali territorial waters.
Due to the increased risk of possible pirate group activity, the UKMTO is advising people to exercise particular caution and report any suspicious sightings in the region.
The incident is the second reported hijacking in just a few days: previously, on April 21, the Palau-flagged product tanker “Honor 25” was taken over by armed perpetrators off the coast of Somalia. According to reports, there were 17 crew members on board. The ship is said to have been carrying around 18,500 barrels of oil.
The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) has now also taken a much more critical view of the situation. The threat level for the Somali Coast and the Somali Basin has been raised to “significant” – an attack is therefore considered a serious possibility. In addition, the hijacking of a Somali-flagged fishing vessel near Xaafuun and an attempted armed boarding around 83 nm off Eyl were recently reported. From the point of view of the security agencies, both indicate a more active Pirate Action Group in the Somali Basin.
The development is reminiscent of the peak period of Somali piracy between 2008 and 2011, when the sea area was one of the most dangerous regions for international merchant shipping: more than 200 attacks were reported in 2011. The typical approach was to hijack ships and use the crew and cargo as leverage for ransom demands.
The renewed threat of piracy is hitting shipping in an already tense security situation and region. At the same time, the maritime risk situation in the Arabian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea remains high. JMIC continues to rate the regional threat level there as “critical”, referring to blockade enforcement, mine reports, navigation disruptions and a continuing risk of attacks or misjudgements in the Strait of Hormuz, among other things.
For the southern Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden, on the other hand, JMIC continues to rate the situation as lower. Confirmed attacks on merchant ships have not been reported there recently, but the risk of a renewed escalation by the Houthi rebels remains.
(© UKMTO)
